Lifesavers for Libraries

Last May I attended a wonderful presentation by Deborah Ford, AKA Auny Betty, called Increasing the Effectiveness of your School Library Program: Creative, Inviting, Budget-Friendly Ideas. The day flew by. Deborah was entertaining as well as informative and she gave us tons of ideas to use. Here are a few of my favorites:

First Impressions

Is Your Library Usable?
Look at your library with new eyes. What can you rearrange to accomodate more activities or make it easier for patrons to use? Tip: Unless it is bolted down, it can be moved.
Think about:

• computer screens
  
• data ports
  
• Electrical outlets
  
• line of sight
  
• shelving height
  
• accesible walking layout
  

Space saving ideas:

• use a moveable white board as space dividers
  
• use a curtain on a rolling rack to divide areas
  
• purchase a clipboard for students to use as writing surfaces.
  
• purchase square tables over rectangular or round to allow for more flexibility
  

Websites:
Oakland, Michigan http://www.oaklad,k12.mi.us/pdf/01inforcenterhelpguide.pdf
University of Prince Edward Island http://www.upei.ca/schoollibrarianship/html/buildingyourprogram.html
Better Homes and Gardens' Arrange-a-Room http://www.bhg.com

Is your library user friendly?

Post rules and teach procedures

• no more than 5
• state in a positive voice
• use school-wide rules if applicable
• Introduce them during orientation; reinforcement them; reteach as needed.
• teach and practice procedures for entering and exiting library, for getting help, etc.

Are you having fun? "To love what you do and feel that it matters, how could anything be more fun? Katharine Graham

• Frequent flyers: good library users receive special privilege like eating in the library or checking out more books.
• sponsor a family reading night.
• display books you want to promote next to the circulation counter (candy in the checkout lane)
• Banned book week: create a display of banned books.
• Are you smarter than a ...? research game.
• Create a PG13 rack for mature themes.
• Give a book fair gift card to those who read all 10 Golden Sower nominees.
• Quick Pick table: display books that a frequently checked out.
• Scott Selects:  students' vote for favorites

Is your Library Organized?
If you don't know where it is, you might as well not have it.
If your patrons can easily locate materials, they will return again and again. An unorganized library frustrates both the staff and the patrons.

Close your eyes. Look at your space with fresh eyes. List 5 words that describe the organization of your media center. List one area that could use improvement.

5 Ways to get organized

1. Make a list.
• Keep your To Do Lists in ONE notebook.
• Keep a wish list of books you would buy is you had the money. Open your online selection source, such as Titlewave everyday, and add to it as you get requests or discover needs.
• Keep a list of chores for unexpected volunteers.
• Make a new to do list at the beginning of every week to stay focused.
  
• Star items on your to do lists that someone else can do. Delegate!
• Highlight items that are top priority. Give yourself a reward when they are completed.
• Cross off items as they are completed.
  
2. Create files.
• To Do; In Progress; Projects; To Read; Principal
  
• Substitute: passwords, lists of people to go to, school and library rules and procedures.
• Class: One for each class you teach. Keep notes or handouts.
• Use folders on your computer.
• One folder for each library program or activity. Take pictures to help remember what you did.
  
3. Create forms.
• create a folder on your computer of all forms
  
• keep a folder of hard copies of all forms
• draw a highighter line on the last hard copy. It won't show up when you make copies, but you'll know it's the last copy.
• Use a blue pen to sign an original.
• Always make a copy of anything you sign and send.
  
4. Throw it away.
• Mail: sort as soon as you pick it up. Keep, toss, recycle right then.
• Keep a basket to put all items that need to go to the office once a day.
• Recycle most catalogs. Keep only the ones you'll use and the most current issue.
• File catalogs alphabetically by company name in a file drawer.
• File catalogs in file boxes or magazine boxes arranged by topic (av, supplies, books)
5. Prioritize.
   
• Write lesson plans on the computer. Save in folders by grade level, month and/or topic.
• Email: set aside a time each day to read email.
• Read the subject lines. Delete those that don't pertain to you without reading them.
• Delete without reading any email the comes from an unknown source.
• Report any inappropriate use to an authority.
• Create folders within your emails to organize and delete from the inbox.
• empty your trash to save hard drive space.
  

Collection Development

• check district policies
• run usage report 
• use collection report to discover sections with oldest copyright dates. Start there.
• CREW method: copyright date, last checkout, condition
• Use some pulled due to condition as examples when teaching about book care
• box up or use black plastic bags 

Recipes

DAVE'S COLLEGE GRADUATION POTATO SALAD
serves 14
Jean Hellman

3 lbs. potatoes (I use russet), boiled with skins on
1 cup Miracle Whip Light
1 tbs white vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp mustard (increase to taste)
1 tsp salt
dash pepper
1/2 tsp. celery seed
4 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. pickle relish
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, chopped

1. Place potatoes in pan, cover with water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender; drain and cool. Peel and chop.
2. In a large bowl, combine Miracle Whip, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, celery seed and mustard. Stir in potatoes, celery, onion, relish and eggs; toss gently to coat.
3. Serve chilled.

GRANDPA BILL'S PIZZA DOUGH
Dad made and took this pizza to many of my sons' high school athletic events. All the kids knew that "Gpa" (pronounce gee-pa) would have pizza, homemade cheesecake, and bottled water for them in his trunk at football games and track meets and that he would host a pizza party for the wrestlers after the season ended.

2 tbsp. warm (110 degrees) water
1 pkg dry yeast
1 tbsp. sugar

Stir once, let set till mixture foams.

Add

1 tbsp. margarine
1/2 c. milk and 1/2 cup water, warmed to 110 degrees
1 tsp. salt
2 cups flour

Mix thoroughly. Let set 15-20 minutes.

Add

3/4 tsp. oregano
3/8 tsp. garlic powder

Add enough flour (approximately 2 more cups) to make soft dough. Cover with wax paper. Let rise 1 hour. Divide. Let rise 1/2 hour. Add pizza toppings, starting with a layer of cheese first, then tomato/pizza sauce, and additional toppings.
Preheat oven to 500. Reduce to 450 degrees and bake 35 minutes or until done.

GRANDPA BILL'S PIZZA SAUCE

1 can tomato sauce
1 tbsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. rosemary
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. fennel
1/8 tsp. onion powder

Mix together and spread over pizza crust.

GRANDPA BILL'S SPAGHETTI SAUCE

1/2 c. onion, chopped
2 tbs. oil

Cook onion in oil until transparent.

Add
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. thyme
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 or 2 quarts of diced tomatoes
2 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 small cans mushrooms
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. sugar

Simmer over low heat.

GRANDMA DOLORES' SWEET AND SAUCE SAUCE

1/4 cup catsup
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tbs. cornstarch
2 tbs. water
1 green pepper, chopped OR sliced
1 can pineapple chunks

Simmer until heated through.

GRANDMA OLGA'S POTATO DUMPLINGS

2 cups cold mashed potatoes
2 eggs
2 scant cups flour
pinch of salt

Mix and knead well. Form into small balls then roll the balls on a floured board to form long rolls. Drop into boiling water for 10 min. Serve with sauerkraut.

DESSERTS

Quick Chocolate Frosting
1 pkg (6 oz.) chocolate chips
1 can (15 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1. Combine in bowl chocolate chips and condensed milk.
2. Cook in microwave until mixture bubbles, 1-2 minutes. Stir.
3. Beat until smooth.
4. Add vanilla.

Audio books

If you are like me, you enjoy time outside walking or riding the bike. If you have an ipod or other mp3 player you might want to consider listening to an audio book. There are several sites on the Internet that provide FREE recordings of book that are in the public domain. Some of these titles were written for adult readers but many can also be enjoyed by children and young adults. You can even subscribe to these to have books added to your itunes automatically!

Here are a few sites to "czech" out and a few of the titles you can find there:

Librivox--Dracula by Dram Stoker, classics, poetry, U. S. Historical Documents, the Bible
Audiolit projects--a listing of audio book sites
Project Gutenberg
Audiobooks with Anne--Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and poetry.
Kara's Free Audiobooks--books for kids--The Road to Oz, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, Heidi, poetry for children

Reading Cafe

I always get requests from teachers, students and parents for recommendations for good books to read. It is difficult to make a "one-book- fits-all" list because of the wide variety of reading levels, developmental maturity and interests of middle-school students so I prefer to think of my recommendations as a MENU of books from which to choose. Some of these titles I have personally read; others are recommended by other teachers or organizations such as the American Library Association or the Nebraska Golden Sower Committee. Have a book you think needs to be listed here? Email your name, the title and author of the recommended book, and your review of the book to jhellma@lps.org and I'll consider adding it to my Menu of the Reading Cafe.

Remember that just because one starts a book doesn't mean that one must finish it. On the other hand, some books that I felt I "had" to read because I am a media specialist have become favorites once I got past the first few chapters.

Some of my most treasured memories of childhood are going to the public library to check out books so that I could participate in their reading programs. The Lincoln City Libraries all have great, fun reading programs available. I hope you will give them a try in addition to Scott's Media Center.

Reading Menu

Appetizers

Chicken Soup for the Soul books--too many titles to list but each one full of short stories that will make you laugh, cry, and reflect on life. These will be in the non-fiction section of most libraries.

Podcast: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (a novel in cartoons) and Rodick Rules by Jeff Kinney
Frindle by Andrew Clements (Realistic Fiction)
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements (Realistic Fiction)
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene (Mystery)
Shredderman by Wendelin Van Draanen
The SOS File by Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey, and Laurie Myers
The Stupendous Dodgeball Fiasco by Janice Repka, illus. Glin Dibley
The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney

Snack Bar
"Skinny" books

Babe & Me by Dan Gutman (155 pages)
The Black Pearl by Scott O'Dell (100 pages)
Black Star, Bright Dawn by Scott O'Dell (103 pages)
Brian's Return (115 pages) by Gary Paulsen (first read Hatchet, The River, and Brian's Winter (133 pages)
Disney Adventures Series by Joan Lowery Nixon (under 100 pages)
Heroes Don't Run: A Novel of the Pacific War (113 pages)
Island, Everest, Dive, Kidnapped, On the Run Series by Gordon Korman (130 pages)
The Legend of Red Horse Cavern by Gary Paulsen (55 pages)
White Water by P. J. Petersen (107 pages)

Entrees

Perfect, Lush and Bounce all by Natasha Friend (Perfect won the 2007 Golden Sower Award). The girls in these books deal with grief, eating disorders, alcoholism, and blended families.

Code Orange by Caroline Cooney Did Mitt accidently start a smallpox epidemic while working on his high school project?

Code Talkers by Joseph Bruchac
Navajo Indians joined the Marine Corp during World War II to become Code Talkers, sending and receiving military communications using their Navajo language. Historical Fiction

Driver's Ed by Caroline Cooney
Three teenagers agonize over what they should do after they steal a stop sign. A woman is killed by driving through the intersection. Can they keep the secret and live with the guilt?

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
Steven is a normal 8th grader: a drummer in an honor band who has a crush on the hottest girl in school (who doesn't know he exists) and whose little brother annoys him constantly. His world is turned upside down when his brother gets sick and he has to cope with that as well as the other pressures of his life. Realistic Fiction

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Action adventure mixed with Greek mythology.

Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe (Winner of 2006 Nebraska Golden Sower)
A historical fiction based on the true story of the murder of 15-year-old African American Emmett Till in Mississippi in the summer of 1955. The author's extensive research adds rich details to this event that helped spark the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Historical Fiction

The Perfect Shot by Elaine Marie Alphin (Mystery)

Dessert Bar

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
The Clique (series) by Lisi Harrison
The Princess Diaries (series) by Meg Cabot
Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
The Summer of the Traveling Pants (series) by Ann Brashares

Sports Cafe

Heart of a Champion by Carl Deuker (Golden Sower Winner)
Seth and Jimmy have been friends since a chance meeting on a baseball field in sixth grade. Now they are in high school on the varsity baseball team and learning how decisions they make off the field impact their lives. (This is one of my all-time favorite books!)

High Heat, On the Devil's Court, Night Hoops, Painting the Black, Runner, and Gym Candy are also by Carl Deuker.

Heat and Travel Team by Mike Lupica

Slam by Walter Dean Myers

Winning Season series by Rich Wallace includes The Roar of the Crowd, Technical Foul, Fast Company, Double Fake, Emergency Quarterback, Southpaw, Dunk Under Pressure, Takedown and Curveball.

Buffet Line
Series, Award Winners and Book Lists

• 2008-2009 Golden Sower Nominees: These are nominees for a state award voted on in April by the children of Nebraska. There are three catagories: Primary (K-3), Intermediate (4-6) and Young Adult (7-12). I've listed the Intermediate and Young Adult titles with a short summary in a separate post below. Scroll down to read it.
• YALSA (Young Adult Library Service Association) book lists.
  
• Series: City of Ember, People of Sparks, Yonwood Prophet by Jeanne DuPrau
  The lights in the City of Ember start to flicker and Lena and Doon, two teens who have just finished their education and entered the world of work, join forces to figure out what is going on. City of Ember has a cliff-hanger ending that makes you want to read People of Sparks to see what happens next! (Fantasy/SciFi)
• Podcast of Series: Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras by Scott Westerfeld
  
• Series: Shadow Children by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Among the Hidden and Among the Imposters are the first two books in this series.
• Podcast of Series: Maximum Ride by James Patterson (Science Fiction Adventure)
• Podcast of Series: Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
  
• Series: Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan (Horror)
• Series: Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
  
  
  
  

Podcasts

Dan Schmidt's Kidcast: Excellent information about podcasting and a source for books about podcasting.

freeplaymusic.com


LearnOutLoud.com: Browse over 15,000 educational audio books, MP3 downloads, podcasts, and videos. You can search by keyword or browse a subject list. Some items are for purchase but many are free! Here's a few of the free ones:

Legend of Sleepy Hollow, American Indian Fairy Tales and Classic Chinese Short Stories.

LIt to Go: A free collection of stories and poems in mp3 (audiobook) format. Visit the "Lit2Go on the Web" link to download printable versions of each passage along with reading activities for students.

Lit2Go: Audio Files for 8th Graders: Features poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, short stories by Emily Bronte, more of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous short stories, and the audio books In the Wilds of Florida by W. H. G. Kingston, Logic: Deductive and Inductive by Carveth Read, M.A., The Number Concept: Its Origin and Development by Levi Leonard Conant, Ph. D., The Mystery of Edwin Drood & Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne.

Lit2Go: Audio Files for 7th Graders: Features Edgar Allan Poe's most famous short stories, as well as the audio books The Tin Woodman of Oz & Tik-Tok of Oz by L. Frank Baum, The Little Lame Prince by Maria Dinah Mulock Craik, The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, and The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells.

Lit2Go: Audio Files for 6th Graders: Features dozens of short stories including many by Virginia Woolf and Rudyard Kipling. Also features the audio books The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, & The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum, Famous Stories Every Child Should Know, The Story of Siegfried by James Baldwin, The Light Princess by George MacDonald, The Open Boat by Stephen Crane, A Florida Sketch-Book by Bradford Torrey, Sylvie and Bruno & Sylvie and Bruno Concluded by Lewis Carroll, Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Philosophy and Fun of Algebra by Mary Everest Boole, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Flappers and Philosophers by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Manga 101

What the heck is manga??? Read this article to find out!
"Manga 101: Enroll Now," Wired-15.11, November 2007.

All of our fiction graphic novels are located next to the soft seating area of the media center.
Our non-fiction graphic novels are shelved according to their topic, such as World War II.

2008-2009 Golden Sower Nominees

Key: IL=Interest Level; RL=Reading level; p=pages; Fic=Fiction

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

Anna's blizzard - Hart, Alison. {IL 3-6, -Fic-} -- Peachtree, c2005., RL 4, 141p
Having never excelled at schoolwork, twelve-year-old Anna discovers that she may know a few things about survival when she and her classmates become trapped in their Nebraska schoolhouse in a storm that comes to be known as the Children's Blizzard of 1888.

Each little bird that sings - Wiles, Deborah. {IL 3-6, -Fic-} -- Harcourt, 2006, c2005., RL 4, 259p
Comfort Snowberger is well acquainted with death since her family runs the funeral parlor in their small southern town, but even so the ten-year-old is unprepared for the series of heart-wrenching events that begins on the first day of Easter vacation with the sudden death of her beloved great-uncle Edisto.
Lexile: 760

Gossamer - Lowry, Lois. {IL 5-8, -Fic-} -- Houghton Mifflin, c2006., RL 4.9, 140p
While learning to bestow dreams, a young dream giver tries to save an eight-year-old boy from the effects of both his abusive past and the nightmares inflicted on him by the frightening Sinisteeds.
Lexile: 660 Fantasy

Listening for lions - Whelan, Gloria. {IL 5-8, -Fic-} -- HarperTrophy, 2006, c2005., RL 6, 194p
Left an orphan after the influenza epidemic in British East Africa in 1919, thirteen-year-old Rachel is tricked into assuming a deceased neighbor's identity to travel to England, where her only dream is to return to Africa and rebuild her parents' mission hospital.
Lexile: 900 Historical Fiction

Out of order - Hicks, Betty. {IL 3-6, -Fic-} -- Roaring Brook Press, 2005., RL 4.2, 169p
Four youngsters, ages nine to fifteen, narrate one side of the story of their newly blended family's adjustment, interwoven with grief and loss.
Lexile: 680 Realistic Fiction

Room one : a mystery or two - Clements, Andrew, 1949-{IL 3-6,-Fic-} -- Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c2006., RL 5.1, 162p
Ted Hammond, the only sixth grader in his small Nebraska town's one-room schoolhouse, searches for clues to the disappearance of a homeless family.
Lexile: 840

Rules - Lord, Cynthia. {IL 3-6, -Fic-} -- Scholastic Press, 2006., RL 3.5, 200p
Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence but her world is further complicated by a friendship with an young paraplegic.
Lexile: 780 Realistic Fiction

Satch & me : a baseball card adventure - Gutman, Dan. {IL 5-8, -Fic-} -- HarperCollins, c2006., RL 4.1, 175p
With his ability to travel through time using vintage baseball cards, Joe takes Flip with him to find out whether Satchel Paige really was the fastest pitcher ever.
Lexile: 660

Whittington - Armstrong, Alan W., 1939-{IL 3-6, -Fic-} -- Yearling, 2006, c2005., RL 4.4, 191p
Whittington, a feline descendant of Dick Whittington's famous cat of English folklore, appears at a rundown barnyard plagued by rats and restores harmony while telling his ancestor's story.
Lexile: 760

Wing nut - Auch, Mary Jane. {IL 5-8, -Fic-} -- H. Holt, 2005., RL 6.3, 231p
Twelve-year-old Grady and his mother relocate yet again, this time finding work taking care of an elderly man, who teaches Grady about cars, birds, and what it means to have a home.
Lexile: 740 Realistic Fiction

YOUNG ADULT LEVEL

Crossing the wire - Hobbs, Will. {IL 3-6, -Fic-} -- HarperTrophy, 2007, c2006., RL 4.4, 216p
Fifteen-year-old Victor Flores journeys north in a desperate attempt to cross the Arizona border and find work in the United States to support his family in central Mexico. Lexile: 670 Realistic Fiction

Dragon's keep - Carey, Janet Lee. {IL YA, -Fic-} -- Harcourt, c2007., 302p
In 1145 A.D., as foretold by Merlin, fourteen-year-old Rosalind, who will be the twenty-first Pendragon Queen of Wilde Island, has much to accomplish to fulfill her destiny, while hiding from her people the dragon's claw she was born with that reflects only one of her mother's dark secrets. Lexile: 830 Fantasy

A friend at midnight - Cooney, Caroline B. {IL YA, -Fic-} -- Delacorte Press, c2006., 183p
After rescuing her younger brother abandoned at a busy airport by their divorced father, fifteen-year-old Lily finds her faith in God sorely tested as she struggles to rescue herself from the bitterness and anger she feels. Realistic Fiction
Lexile: 760

Heat- Lupica, Mike. {IL 5-8, -Fic-} -- Puffin Books, 2007, c2006., RL 5.6, 220p
Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after being banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof.Lexile: 940 Realistic Fiction

The legend of Bass Reeves : being the true account of the most valiant marshal in the West - Paulsen, Gary. {IL 5-8, -Fic-} -- Wendy Lamb Books, c2006., RL 5.8, 137p
The story of Bass Reeves who was born a slave and later became one of the most respected federal marshals in Oklahoma and Texas. Historical Fiction
Lexile: 950

Life as we knew it - Pfeffer, Susan Beth, 1948- {IL YA, -Fic-} -- Harcourt, c2006., 337p
Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
Lexile: 770

Shakespeare's secret - Broach, Elise. {IL 5-8, -Fic-} -- Holt, 2005., RL 6.1, 250p
Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero becomes interested in exploring this unusual connection because of a valuable diamond supposedly hidden in her new house, an intriguing neighbor, and the unexpected attention of the most popular boy in school.
Lexile: 620 Realistic Fiction

A summer of Kings - Nolan, Han. {IL YA, -Fic-} -- Harcourt, c2006., 334p
Over the course of the summer of 1963, fourteen-year-old Esther Young discovers the passion within her when eighteen-year-old King-Roy Johnson, accused of murdering a white man in Alabama, comes to live with her family.
Lexile: 950 Historical Fiction

Tomorrow, the river - Gray, Dianne E. IL 5-8, -Fic-} -- Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006., RL 5.5, 233p
In 1896, fourteen-year-old Megan joins her sister and family on their steamboat for the summer riding up the Mississippi River towards St. Paul, Minnesota, and through all of their adventures, Megan realizes what is her "true calling."
Lexile: 990 Historical Fiction

Twilight - Meyer, Stephenie, 1973- {IL YA, -Fic-} -- Little, Brown, 2005., 498p
Seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, where she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human.
Lexile: 720 Fantasy

Technology as a Second Language

Geek's Guide to Teaching in the Modern Age
Technology and the Law

Summer Reads 2008

These are books I couldn't put down:

Heart of a Champion by Carl Deuker
"I wondered if it was better to have a father like that (one who screams at his son), or not to have a father at all." Seth's father had died. Jimmy's father was very much alive, pushing Jimmy to be the best baseball player by screaming at him. Seth and Jimmy have been friends since a chance meeting on a baseball field in sixth grade. Now they are in high school on the varsity baseball team and learning how decisions they make off the field impact their lives.

Perfect by Natasha Friend

Driver's Ed by Caroline Cooney
Three teenagers agonize over what they should do after they steal a stop sign. A woman is killed by driving through the intersection. Can they keep the secret and live with the guilt?

Code Talkers by Joseph Bruchac
Navajo Indians joined the Marine Corp during World War II to become Code Talkers, sending and receiving military communications using their Navajo language. The story follows starts on the Navajo reservation and takes you onto the battlefields of World War II. If you like historical fiction about World War II, be sure to read Code Talkers. Historical Fiction

Mississippi Trial, 1955 by Chris Crowe
A historical fiction based on the true story of the murder of 15-year-old African American Emmett Till in Mississippi in the summer of 1955. The author's extensive research adds rich details to this event that helped spark the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Historical Fiction

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
Steven is a normal 8th grader: a drummer in an honor band who has a crush on the hottest girl in school (who doesn't know he exists) and whose little brother annoys him constantly. His world is turned upside down when his brother gets sick and he has to cope with that as well as the other pressures of his life. Realistic Fiction

City of Ember
People of Sparks
Yonwood Prophet by Jeanne DuPrau
The lights in the City of Ember start to flicker and Lena and Doon, two teens who have just finished their education and entered the world of work, join forces to figure out what is going on. City of Ember has a cliff-hanger ending that makes you want to read People of Sparks to see what happens next!

Sizzling Series:

Found (#1 in Missing series) by Margaret Peterson Haddix (recommended by Mrs. Christiancy)

Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he's never thought it was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who's also adoped, begin receiving mysterious letters. The first one says, "You are one of the missing." The second one says, "Beware! They're coming back to get you."

Jonah, Chip, and Jonah's sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere -- and people who seem to appear and disappear at will. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip's lives.

Do Jonah and Chip have any choice in the matter? And what should they choose when both alternatives are horrifying? (Barnes & Noble synopsis)

Award-winners:
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
(National Book Award Finalist, Michael L. Printz Award)

Winner Intermediate Golden Sower for 2007-2008: The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney

Honor books:  The Stupendous Dodgeball Fiasco by Janice Repka, illus. Glin Dibley
          The SOS File by Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey, and Laurie Myers



Winner Young Adult Golden Sower for 2007-2008: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Honor books:  Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
            The Perfect Shot by Elaine Marie Alphin

Ipods for Special Education Students

Notes from NETA 2008 session "Leveling the Playing Field for Special Ed Students with iPods"
by Lanita Recob, Misty Beair, Rose Brewer

• Leveling the field for the sped, ELL, SAT students
• accommodations for sped students
• Allows students to be independent in general ed classroom.
  • Hand them the ipod as you hand them the print test.
• Accommodations read only 2 or 3 answers instead of 4
• Matching: give 2-4 word bank for each question
• Essays: you can individualize accommodations and cues (remember to…)
• Kids can skip questions and go back to questions.
• Students are able to take a test at their own speed w/o assistance of staff members.
• Sped ed teacher reads the test into the ipod for each teacher
  • Dyslexic: "I already know the material I just need it read to me because the words get mixed up."
  • Motivation for kids to study for tests because they like staying in the classroom
  • Colleges uses ipod for accommodations.
  • Safe—can put tests on and off ipod
  • Sped teacher can help other students instead of reading tests
• OTHER USES:
  
• Recording lectures for missing students or to review
• Speech practices so students can listen to it
• Learning lines for plays, class presentations
• Memorization work for classes
  
• notetaking: students read and summarize notes from class lectures
  
• Take language sample from all speech kids in fall to be able to compare in spring
• Kids read at least quarterly to monitor fluency
• word list of 10 words with their problem sounds for practice
• kids do self monitoring to compare throughout the year
• IEP meetings let parents listen to progress
• end of year motivation for summer goals

Once it is set up it is easy to maintain.

How to finance:
• Medicaid reimbursement facilitated thru ESP
• Sped funds

Equipment
• Ipods w/cases
• laptops dedicated to ipods project
• usb headsets w/mics

preparation:
• choose resource teachers who are open to change
• familiar with technology
• collaborate to learn the technology
• paid staff $15/hour to take after-hours workshops on how to do it.

• Session 1:learn how to use an ipod, computer, Garageband
• Session 2: create a podcast test, transfer podcast to server, sync with ipod
  

technology issues:
• wanted to find a secure location to save the tests (teacher password protected)

• Consider that you will need to replace the ipods eventually
  
• Griffin or belkin recording devices make sure they match w/ipods

future:
• paras create and sync the tests on an ipod
• assessments, norm ref and classroom evaluations are syced on ipod
• use for iowa basics test instructions (check copyright issue)


open imovie
create titles
create title slide
**************************

• Make the question 1 screen from ppt; save it as a jpg file in ppt

NETA Notes 4.24.2008 keynote

I attended the annual Nebraska Educational Technology Conference in Omaha on April 24-25, 2008. As usual, I picked up many great ideas, lesson plans and resources from the presenters.

Will Richardson, keynote speaker http://willrichardson.wikispaces.com

• Web has become a publishing tool allowing every computer to become a printing press.
  
• ustream.tv produce and broadcast video
• Blogs are all about networking; can change the way one looks at the world.
• blogs are global.
• many educational blogs out there.
  
• search for Secret Life of Bees blog.
  
• Reading is not a passive activity anymore...blogs allow us to reply to the articles we read.
• People are using the web to find out what other consumers are saying about products. It's about the buzz about the products, not just the product itself.
• According to the National School Board Association over 70% of students have a social networking account; but only 3% of educators do. We need to know what our students' online world is all about and instead of just blocking these sites, teach them how to ethically use them.
  
• We need to prepare students to the fact that what they put up on the web remains there even after they "remove" it and employers are searching the Web to see what prospective employees have posted.
• Instead of dumping information into kids, teach them to find the content and how to interact with it.
• Show them how to find good information.
• Wikipedia: most information is not erroneous...they do a good job of catching mistakes in a matter of minutes. Print material cannot be updated that quickly.
• We are not consumers of information. We are now EDITORS of information.
• Kids won't look past the top 5 Google results.
• Great podcasts at radio willowweb (Omaha)
• Website: flat classroom project