Quiet Books for an Elementary School Library

It's a whole new, exciting year and I'm so excited for what may come! So to get started for the new year, I have a wonderful new (to me) idea for a young children's library. Quiet books! Here is a link to pinterest with so many links to how to make your own quiet books.  Quiet Book How-To I have seen many different examples of these and think they would be a great addition to a school library. There are many positives for having these in your library.

1. A fantastic table top center that doesn't have loud parts and is designed to be quiet. 2. Fostering a love of books. 3. Ready made activities on many different subjects--i.e. counting, colors, animals, seasons...  4.  Plus a cheap and quiet Mr. Potato Head!



However, along with these there is a downside. While I am sure there is a very artistic person out there that sells these wonderful books, all that I have seen are time intensive creations that you can make at home. While I love this idea, to make enough of these for a library as well as be prepared with spare pieces, because inevitably there will be lost pieces.

A way to combat this is to just do one book but have many pages so students can share or divide and trade through the time, but I don't know how skilled I would be to make these amazing felt creations. The great thing is felt is a very cheap fabric--I found some letter paper size pieces for $.25 per piece at my local Hobby Lobby, but it is a big time commitment. Finding patterns, cutting patterns, gluing and sewing pieces all seems to stretch out in making this project come to life.

 However, through all of this I can see so many fun adventures for students. Plus, it is a way to tie classroom skills into the library. I feel that quiet books could even be made to do sentence elements and big math problems or a fun science topic about bugs. What a great way to show teachers how the library supports their classroom efforts!

What do you think? Are quiet books worth the effort to have for a library activity? What types of pages can you think of that would work in a library?

Until next time, happy quiet book building! :)

iPads and the Library

So this year, I have heard of many more schools bringing iPads into the library for student use.  What a fantastic idea.  There are so many great apps that can read to students, teach students, and entertain students out there.  I hope that I am able to bring these to my school one day.

I also just saw a fantastic way to utilize these tools.  What about an iPad corner in the library--similar to a centers table where students can use and utilize them during their library time.  It can even be decorated with great pictures and these fantastic posters on school age directions for using the iPad--I'm envisioning elementary school with these. :) 

I have heard some rough stories from high schools that give each student an iPad and dealing with breaks and completely destroyed units but I guess part of that comes from the understanding that they are students and accidents will happen.

I have also seen great apps for the iPad that are for students.  They make books interactive and fun in a way that is all new for kids.  I love apps like Touch Press that offer a number of interactive books on education topics such as the periodic table and gemstones.  It lets you explore up close, 3-D images of gemstones and its properties.  It also has music and information that is interesting as well as engaging for students.  I think this is a great way for students to learn without even knowing they are learning.  There are also apps that have weird or strange facts.  What a great way for them to learn something that will stick with them such as "A waterfall in Hawaii flows up instead of down."  It can be a way to start off the day with random information as well as an attention grabber for students. The great part of having an iPad is while it is a large initial expense, many educational and game apps are free or very low cost. The few I highlight here are no more than two dollars and most are completely free. I think iPads are a great way to enhance student learning!

iPads have definitely changed the standard for engaging student learners.  I think it creates a whole new scope of hands on or interactive learning and yet it can be used in so many different ways.  Do you have any apps that you would recommend for a library?  What do kids love to play with that will be great to use everyday?

Finally...A Date.

So this post is not a new idea for my library.  It is instead my moment of celebration for the date I become a librarian.  Yes, in my head I am already feeling that this is what I am but according to many schools that I want to work at, the title needs a great big paper with my name on it to back it up.  Well, the day that becomes my reality is....drum roll....MAY 9, 2013!!!!!  I am thrilled to finally have this recorded in my calendar.



Of course, before this can happen I have the rest of my classes to finish, not to mention a practicum/internship for the semester, two standardized tests, and a comprehensive exam. (Don't forget the partridge in a pear tree!)  But none of this matters because right now, I have an end in sight!

What does this end mean, you ask?  As of now, a world with no job, currently no major prospects, and a lifetime living with my parents and fighting about cleaning my room.  But that is not what I am thinking about right now.  Instead, I am dreaming of my ideal library, great students that I get to show the wonder of books, and fantastic ideas of how to pull it off thanks to a wonderful blog that holds them as my idea repository.  And I will find that library!...the next chapter begins MAY 9 (in case you missed it earlier).

Until that great evening, I will continue working on interesting and long school assignments, enjoy my few remaining days at my current job with kids and keep finding new ideas for this great library I will one day have.

Until next time...Happy Reading!! 

Book Reviews

So this tool that I found for use in a school library is a fantastic website!  Common Sense media is a website where parents write reviews for popular teen novels.  I had the opportunity to interview a middle school librarian recently and she mentioned that she doesn't buy books without consulting here first.

Common Sense Media book reviews.

I love the concept of this website because it moves from the back cover description into what the content is.  I have learned that it is very important to judge the culture of the community for which your students live in because it will show signs of what the reaction might be to more controversial young adult titles.  The parent reviews cover appropriate age as well as different content topics.

I love this idea just to be able to judge what is coming into the library before it is on the shelf or before a parent raises concerns.  While it might not cover all the material, it could be a great starting place for new books for the library collection.

I explored all different areas of this website and I love what it has to offer.  Not only does it offer fairly comprehensive reviews of current teen books, it explores older novels, children's books, as well as apps, movies, TV shows and more.  I can see using this to add different items to the library such as good movies that could be used in class or if the school where I work has them, apps for the ipad or other tablet device.

The middle school librarian that uses this site talks about how she has been able to limit books that invite parental concern by reviewing content through here first.  Of course, there is no replacement from reading the book and I don't know how every parent will react to each book but what a great way to have forewarning of language or violence, etc.

Now to just find that library.... :)

A reminder to make reminders...

So...I'm getting close to the end of my time in classes and I am starting to see so many great ideas for things to use in my library!  I really want a fun atmosphere, wherever I work and trying to find the right ideas when I don't even know what age I will be teaching is a definite adventure.  Right now, in my classes, I do a lot of planning for programs and budgets and collections that I haven't had the chance to put into practice yet.  However, all this planning is leading me to great ideas I don't want to forget when I move to my own library.

For today, I was exploring a classroom management blog and for many school librarians, I'm sure you know, classroom management will definitely apply even inside the land of books.  This idea was for a cut out I found as a freebie from this great blog :Finding JOY in 6th Grade.  The actual link to the cut out is a free print out with different messages from googledocs.  Googledoc Bloghop Freebie.

The grand idea I have with this cut out is to have stacks and stacks and to help students remember to return checked out materials.  It is more of a reminder note and once typed or written could be delivered to teachers to pass out.  I know that many schools have such a high number of students that this would be difficult each day or week to do but I would like to try it.

I think the idea of an in hand reminder for book return is a great tool.  I know some libraries generate income from book fines and I'm sure there are students that can have every reminder possible and still forget but its worth a shot. 

Now to get this to work, all I need is a reminder to write reminders. :)

Till next time....keep reading! :)