Report Card Dilemma

Our system has a new Superintendent and she is making many changes. She was understandably flabbergasted that the Barrow County Elementary Schools were still sending out card stock, handwritten report cards akin to what The Beav and Wally must have taken home for Mrs. Cleaver to sign. So, she gave our county Technology Integration Specialist two weeks to come up with an excel option...and she did, bless her heart! First, we had school wide PLC's with each grade level for training.  The remainder of the week was spent in upheaval as teachers started actually working with the program.   I shadowed my MS as he put out report card "fires" with each grade level's report cards!   I have never seen such a mess. The TI finally quit updating the report card templates after the 11th version! To top it all off we are on Fall Break next week and report cards are due when we come back, so all tweaks need to be made before we leave on Friday! This is what we did ALL WEEK LONG! 

Kennedy Elementary
September 27-30
6 hours

Book Challenge

Well,  Friday we had a parent come in and fill out a challenge form for the book Mine's the Best by Crosby Bonsall.   Since I am on the school wide Media Center Committee I will be taking part in the entire process! I am so excited! Does that make me a nerd?..... I wonder?  Anyway, the parent has concerns that the book promotes conflict.  I read it and I can somewhat see what she is saying....in a very vague sort of way.........still she wants it REMOVED from the shelves! REALLLYY?  Why not use the book as a springboard into a lesson on playing nice with your friends? I just don't get it!  I spent quite some time discussing this whole issue with Mr. Frame.......
  As a future librarian I am so glad to see the Media Committee in action. Also, I am thankful that Media Committees make decisions regarding these issues so that the MS is not left blowing in the breeze alone! I can imagine how hard it would be to face this issue without back-up! We will meet this week and make a recommendation.

Kennedy 2 hours

Cataloging

Wednesday
I cataloged books today...straight from the box almost to the shelf! Once I got the steps down, it was easy as pie!
Here are the steps we use at Kennedy:
 *Bar Code on
 *Look up call numbers on Follett
 *Double check AR test is on order
 *Use OPAC to copy catalog
      check ISBN number- add copy
      call number
      category code
      add copy
      save
  * put in Media Clerk's stack where she will:
       add shelf marker
       cover bar code, call number, and AR sticker
       stamp Kennedy Elementary in two places
Mr. Frame explained how much easier the entire process is when the order is placed through Follett because everything is just one click away! The day I worked at Winder Barrow High School the MS was working with VCR tapes that had to be looked up in SEARS...what a pain! Anyway, the process was painless at Kennedy and one I look forward to doing in my own center!

Kennedy Elementary
2 hours

Topics

  Tuesday we discussed topics for my digital video project. We talked about focusing on scary books mainly those by Mary Downing  Hahn since my fourth graders are all so enamored with our current read aloud Wait til Helen Comes. I began to wonder about our school-wide vocabulary parade and if that would work instead. I asked Dr. Downs and she informed me that I must have objectives......I may stick with my scary book theme......it seems more fun anyway!


Kennedy Elementary School
1:30

Inventory

Our Media Specialist only inventories the collection at the end of the school year. He printed me a list of the F aa’s to F zz’s and suggested that I inventory the items using the list. I found that of the 29 books, four were lost, and 10 were 1979 or older.  Many of the books were in terrible shape! I inventoried the same book section that I weeded. I think that this combination of weeding while taking inventory would work well at the end of the year when the entire collection is inventoried! I wonder if all MS do both at one time?

Kennedy Elementary
2:00

Conference Attendance

Conference Attendance
University of Georgia Children's Literature Conference  Spring 2010
 I attended the Children's Literature Conference the University of Georgia March 19th and 20th. There were many seminars to choose from. I attended Andy Phellems seminar and a Storytelling in the Classroom one as well. Each morning and early afternoon notable children's authors spoke to the large crowd. Margie Palatini, Kadir Nelson, Robert Burleigh, and Andrea Davis Pinkney were amazing speakers and entranced all audience members!

Memberships

I am a member of the following professional organizations:

American Library Association

Georgia Library and Media Association

International Society for Technology in Education

PAGE

Display

I worked with Mrs. Hall to create our Book Fair  display. We planned out and focused it on the book fair's Superhero theme. This display took hours to complete. We also took pictures of the kids and placed them on the Superheros we made to fulfill the required virtual component. We had planned to make a slideshow...but alas our time simply ran out!

Grade Level Meeting

I attended the third grade level team meeting with Mr. Frame. The teachers would like for him to help them create a wiki page for their upcoming rocks and minerals unit.  He discussed the standards and what types of information they wanted to include...reference or interactive pages. We decided that the wiki should be more of a fun cumulative activity for the students.  He will set up a page for them and do a mini-lesson on how to add links at a later date. 

Kennedy Elementary
1:00

Lessons

During my MC time today,  I observed as Mr. Frame taught a positional words lesson on the Promtheian board to Kindergarten students.  They loved it.  After the lesson, we lined the kids up and did a real life demonstration with them.  I covet the board in the MC because my grade level does not have any yet, even though we are required to incorporate technology into our lessons at least once a week.  I purchased my own projector this year and I haul my laptop back and forth to school each and every day.  What a pain!  We joke about how the fourth grade technology section of the lesson plans should say "use overhead projector."  I feel that I will certainly be a more understanding MS, especially since I am living in a technological wasteland!  I will certainly be more understanding!  We do have ELMOs to check out, but folks tend to hog them.  Mr. Frame has them on a limited three day check out.  However, when teachers check them out, they never return them on time.  Therefore, it is not a wise move to make lesson plans that revolve around ELMOs because you probably won't get one without a fight! 


Kennedy Elementary
45 minutes

New Book Preview!

Today when I went to work in the Media Center there were several big boxes of preview books.  So I got to look through the books....ahhh what fun! There was a whole series on the supernatural and unexplained.....ESP, aliens, Bigfoot and everybody's favorite.....ghost!  My MS had already ordered a similar series so we will send these on back.  I also worked with Audacity and learned how to put work with music tracks.
Kennedy Elementary
1:30

 

Planning and Packing

Today we packed up the the book fair....yuck! What a load of work! We also planned dictionay units for K-3 and 4-5. These will be 15 minute lessons and will be presented for the next three weeks as classes rotate through the MC. Class Media Center times are 30 minutes with the first 15 minutes centered around Media Literacy Lessons and the last 15 minutes as checkout times. We stayed very late, but got a lot done! Thank Goodness my MS is NOT one to run out the door at 3:00!

Kennedy Elementary
3 hours

Winder Barrow Middle wins Winstream and Target Grants

Today I worked at Winder Barrow Middle School processing books from their Target grant! I stamped, stamped, and stamped some more! Every school it seems has a different method of processing books. For example, at the Winder Barrow High school the bar codes are on the front cover so that none of the back cover summary are covered, and at the Middle school the bar codes are on the back cover in the middle of the summary. All Librarians have a "secret" page to stamp and write the bar code on! Last week the school found out that they won a $5,000.00 Windstream :) They will use the money for computers in the MC.  I had a blast!

Winder Barrow MIddle School
3 hours

Epiphany

Today I worked in the Media Center at Winder Barrow High School.....it was amazing!  The MC had a makeover when the school was remodeled and it is just beautiful. The ceiling has high sky-lights and natural light brightens the entire room. There are 20 student computers, 3 labs, and 3 MC offices. I learned so much today! The day began with book covering and ended with looking at the Follett list for Science resource books!  The world of High School is just so different.....signing agendas to make sure kids were not skipping was an eye-opener! Also,  I learned that the kids sometimes try to sneak games downloaded on jump drives into the MC to upload on school computers!  The fist time I even looked at the clock was 1:20! I LOVED IT!  We converted the morning announcements to a power-point and uploaded it to a netbook. Next, we took the netbook on  a rolling cart to the lunchroom and plugged it up to the projector and dropped the big screen from the ceiling. Finally, the kids were able to watch the scrolling announcements as they ate.  Also, during lunch, we were summoned to the cafeteria to help the football coach set up the microphone.....we took of the end of the microphone and hit the sinc button on the receiver and mic and he was ready to Pep up the kids for the Winder Barrow Bulldoggs home game!  The rest of the afternoon flew by as classes continued to come in for 45 minute segments on the computers.  I am now more certain than ever that I made the right choice in my career path........this was an awesome day!

Winder Barrow High School
9 hours

Fast Week

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
This week was a busy one. Grandparent's Breakfast was Wednesday for Pre-k through 2nd grade and Thursday for 3-5.  The Media Center was open early both days and it was certainly a crazy week in the Library. No classes came in for lessons, only check-out and book returns were allowed. Many parent volunteers were organized by the Media Clerk and they were definitely needed and appreciated! Although I love book fair, I am ready to get back on the normal MC track next week!
Kennedy
6 hours

Monthly Report

Kennedy Elementary School Media Center Monthly Report

August 2010
William Frame Media Specialist

 Kellie Ouzts Practicum Student Georgia Southern University

Program Instructional Highlights:

•    Pre-K Family Fun Night meeting hosted in Media Center
•    One hundred thirty-four Media Literacy Mini-Lessons taught-15 minute segments for each of 34 classes once a week
•    Forty new AR book titles and AR test added to collection
•    Media committee meeting
•    Two ESOL parent meetings- one in English, one in Spanish
•    Media Club: recommendations sent to teachers, members chosen based on teacher references, and one meeting held.
•    Book Fair arrived on Aug. 30th.
•    Piedmont College classes hosted twice a week for four weeks.

•    Active Inspire lessons taught to third grade teachers.

Kennedy Elementary meeting to discuss monthly report

2 hours

Book Fair Preview

Yesterday Mr. Frame sent an email to all classroom teachers asking them to come to the MC to sign up for a 15 minute Book Fair Preview time. Shortly the list was full and we were set for preview time with all students today!  When the classes entered the MC today they were given a 5 minute "rules of the book fair speech" before being allowed to preview the items.  Children and teachers were provided with Wish List to fill out while previewing. My tasks today was to help keep the smaller kids rounded up, answer questions, and help fill out wish lists! After school we straightened up and got ready for Tuesday when the sales start!

Kennedy
2:30

BOOK FAIR ROCKS!

Thursday I helped unpack books, books, and more books.  I stacked then restacked, created displays and just had fun arranging book fair. I do not remember books fair having so many "toy-ish" items when I was younger! The Media Center looks like party central. We kept the doors closed all day and the MC was closed for classes, open for check-outs and returns! Suprising how many kids had "emergency book return and check-out" situations once the word was out that book fair was being unpacked!

Kennedy 
2:30

Weeding Day 2

Yesterday I printed off the F aa to F zz's that have not circulated in one year. I went through the entire section. I found that of the twenty-nine books, 11 were just older and not appealing to the kids.   I am certainly not saying that all OLD books should be removed.......just that some of these books had black tape on the bindings with the title written in what seemed to be correction fluid. Several of the books had check out cards stamped 1967 and 1968!  The covers were solid with "typewriter" set font titles.  Of the 29, I recommended weeding out 11.  We continued getting ready for book fair this morning.  This afternoon it arrived! Boxes and rolling shelves now sit waiting to be unpacked in the morning! I wish I could be in the Media Center all day! I know my help will be appreciated tomorrow!


KennedyElementary
2:45 hours