Create lessons that engage students for our library media program.
This year I have utilized several tools , ideas and methods that I have used previously last year to focus on keeping students engaged in class, tools such as Kahoot are wonderful quiz exercises that students actively participate in. When creating lessons and objectives I took into account how to tie the content to a students life so they could find it more meaningful to them. This year at Benson West, we had several insightful professional development sessions where we focused on the use of proper verbs to use in our objectives for our lessons to make them higher thinking and to ensure that our lessons were properly posted in the classroom so students had a roadmap before the start of the lesson so they knew the objective without confusion. Verbs such as evaluate, compare and contrast, analyze, were several important ones to utilize.
We had several research projects this year , each project I focused on the first step of the Big 6 for "Choose your Topic". I felt it was important for students to come up with their own inquiry question for their topic to make it more meaningful. This was especially helpful and apparent in a 4th grade animal project during 1st quarter, our students came up with inquiry questions for animals before continuing with gathering information and it helped steer the direction of a student's project to be tied to their own choices for their own inquiry. Our 4th graders used a sight called "Wonderopolis" which allowed them to guide create and select inquiry questions from this sight and build on the knowledge that they took from Wonderopolis by creating a follow up inquiry question and finding answers.
Incorporate Makerspaces centers in our library program
This year we had the opportunity to purchase MakerSpaces and incorporate them into our library program. Our grades K -5 have had opportunities to frequent these centers at different times of the year and to learn, explore and create with them. We have incorporated several maker spaces to use with our curriculum. Students were able to create characters and animals from our story read alouds using a few of our maker spaces.
Entice readers to choose an array of chapter book choices through book talks and lesson in the library.
3rd and 4th grade is a critical age for readers to transition to intermediate chapter books. I feel they are important ages to use strategies to promote chapter book choices to them at their reading levels. This year , lessons were designed to promote specific chapter books through the use of book talks and short read alouds to open up choices for students during their checkout time to consider a chapter book that they would enjoy for their reading level. Last year we started labeling our chapter books with reading levels A - Z, we continued labeling our new books that have come into the library with this method which helps in the process of matching the right chapter book to the reader when considering titles.
This year during first quarter specials, we collaborated with the fourth grade class for animal research. Students created in inquiry question for their research topic for step one of the Big 6. While we were working on these projects the inquiry questions were given to the teachers and they reinforced information and teaching in their class based on student's questions they had in library along with their normal lessons.
Our focus this year for our collection development included replacing and adding gaps in several areas of the non fiction that we have been working on for the last few years. There were topics in areas such as 900's 921 for biographies especially for books to find and add for the Presidents of the United States, books on the civil rights movement that were new and up to date. We also focused on our 500's and 600's sections for books on new emerging sciences and technology, examples include books on drone technology and computer coding. These were areas that had a primary lens for making adjustments and improvements for our library besides the many wide areas of purchases of new materials for picture books , chapter books and popular non fiction books that were added.
This year we had a special author who was nominated for the Golden Sower award 2016-17 come to Benson West. We were proud to welcome Jill Esbaum to Benson West to share with our students her experiences in writing her books. Jill came from a nearby small town in Iowa to come visit us. This visit really excited our students to learn about her life and to share her books as many wanted to check out not only "I am Cow Hear me Moo" but her other books after her visit.
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).