Goal 1
Create lessons that engage students complimenting the pacing guides and library media program.
This year at Benson West Library, l used instructional strategies that helped ensure students participate and contributed in the learning process.
Engagement is an area that our building is focused on and it is an important goal I have for lessons in the library.
One great engagement tool used this year was "Kahoot" which is useful and engaging to students who would answer quiz questions on computer during a part of a lesson.
There have been several projects completed by classes in the library. Students were given more autonomy to choose ideas that interested them for topic selection, they also created inquiry questions which formed the basis for their projects and information gathering.
We completed a project in the library for fourth grade at the end of the fourth quarter. The project ties in with the 4th grade pacing guide for "tall tales" Students create their own tall tale through creative writing with a character similar to the familiar American tall tales. I found that the students during this project were engaged in choosing their own topics and story ideas with the help of writing tools.
Goal 2
Create reading kits of fiction and non- fiction materials with themes for students to explore for checkout
I have created reading kits which bundled books together in a hang up bag for checkout. There were six themes created this year that I have started that have kits for students to check out. Students check out all the books in the bag and take them home in the kit. The kits have fiction and non fiction books related to a similar theme. During the process of this idea, I switched out a few books into the bags when I thought it might be appropriate to do so. The bag does not have a barcode itself but if it is lost the books themselves are on the students account.
Goal 3
Integrate technology to enhance the understanding of skills and concepts during lessons and projects.
There were many technology tools that were used in the library this year at Benson West that helped enhance lessons in the library. Students fouth - sixth grade, this year learned how to log onto their Office 365 accounts. This provided a perfect opportunity to use software included in this suite such as PowerPoint, Word and Sway online. These programs allow students to organize and connect ideas and to act as note making text tools for students who are refining their typing skills and still learning how to use a computer.
Every year it seems I am able to add new web programs to our library web page to be used in class, as I I reflect on the past few years there are many free websites that I have added that engage students as well as enhance our lessons in the library such as Code.org, Keyboard Climber, Storybird, and Read Write Think Comic Creator to name a few.
There were areas in our library that needed to be updated and filled with new materials. One area of note was our 700's section. The 700's section includes books on Art, Sports, and Music. Some of our more used books in this area were tattered and worn. A portion of our budget for collection went towards the 700's section to replaced books in this area that appeal to students. One such area includes our sports section, many of the sports teams, sports players were outdated copyrights and needed books with more current information. Students may question a book about their favorite sports team if there is a person on the team that they haven't heard of and left the team before 2004.
We added several new biography books in the 921's where we couldn't find an adequate nonfiction book on a U.S. president from history. We added several more U.S. Presidents as well as other notable biography figures.
Use of resources: One of our new biographies this year includes a book called "Emmanuel's Dream" This book has recently been nominated as a golden sower for 2016. We used this book during a library lesson where we learned about the country of Gana and its culture. Google Earth was a wonderful tool to show different areas of the country which allows you to zoom in on different locations in the country.
We had the opportunity to host two author/ illustrator visits this year at Benson West.
Bruce Arant visited our school in early October of 2015. Bruce's Golden Sower nominee book "Simpson's Sheep Won't Go to Sleep" was a hit with the kids K - 3 at Benson West.
Bruce focused on how he created his book step by step showing the creative writing process.
Matthew Holm
Matthew co-wrote and illustrated the comic book series "Baby Mouse" along with his sister Jennifer Holm. Matthew came to Benson West at the end of January 2016. Matthew impressed many of our students with his artistic abilities with illustrations. Matthew instructed and showed students how to create their own illustrations and their own comic books just like Baby Mouse.
I unfortunately took photos of this event with my previous phone which is now defective. I was not able to retrieve the photos off of the phone.
Omaha Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age, genetic information, citizenship status, or economic status in its programs, activities and employment and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following individual has been designated to address inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Superintendent of Schools, 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 (531-299-9822).
Las Escuelas Públicas de Omaha no discriminan basados en la raza, color, origen nacional, religión, sexo, estado civil, orientación sexual, discapacidad , edad, información genética, estado de ciudadanía, o estado económico, en sus programas, actividades y empleo, y provee acceso equitativo a los “Boy Scouts” y a otros grupos juveniles designados. La siguiente persona ha sido designada para atender estas inquietudes referentes a las pólizas de no discriminación: El Superintendente de las Escuelas, 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 (531-299-9822).