This year I collaborated with a 5th grade teacher in on inquiry project for a Famous Scientist. We worked on research and citations in the library and were able to create Glogs showcasing their learning. In the classroom they researched online and in print resources. We used Noodletools to cite our sources and were able to paste them into our glogs. This was a messy process, as this was the first time we had ever taken on a project of this size, also because I only see some students once, so our time became an issue. We are already planning on moving forward with a better plan next year! Plus, I will introduce NoodleTools way sooner in the school year next year. That took almost three lessons to get figured out!
Another way the library contributes to the learning environment is through the expanded Makerspace. Our library was able to almost double our Makerspace materials and added more robotics and electronics. These turned into some amazing learning opportunities and provided our students some collaborative exploration time and real life problem solving. One of their favorite things we used this year were the Ozobots. I had an anonymous donor buy 4 for the library and I had funding from our amazing PTO to purchase 8 more. Students were able to use coding, without the need of a mobile device, and program these robots to do some amazing things. Kindergarten through 6th graders all got into our Makerspace challenges.
Our Expanded Makerspace
Some examples of Ozobot mazes
This year my collection development really focused on getting in more diverse books. I see that our population at Dundee is changing and I want our collection to reflect that. Two main groups I looked at were Asian-American and African-American books. I have been able to find several great lists from other librarians and authors focusing on diverse books, and I just add them to the order. There is no greater joy when a student sees themselves in a book, I've heard a "the girl in this book speaks Spanish just like me!" and her face lights up. I am committed to focusing on diverse books for our students to make sure they all feel like a part of this library. E books are easy to find, but next year I will focus more on Fiction section. I've also added several more biographies of people with diverse backgrounds. This is something I feel very strongly about.
To see some data and statistics from this year in our Dundee Library, follow this link to a Sway presentation:
https://sway.com/a8H7AtBiJ95Y4HS0?ref=Link
Last year I set a goal for myself to become a better educator and take on more leadership opportunities. This past school year I have been in the ITL program through OPS and UNO. I feel fortunate that my group is made up of elementary librarians from the district, it has given me opportunities to collaborate and get to know others who do the same job as me. Part of this program requires me to offer Professional Development two times a year to staff or in conference settings. Although I feel nervous when I present, I know that I have so many great tools and tips to share from my experiences in these classes. My confidence has improved as I have presented in class and I hope that carries over to the PD I will lead! These classes have helped me try new things with technology and changed my methods of teaching, through the introduction of Universal Design for Learning Principals, and being more inclusive in my lessons, this program has changed me for the better! I've also hosted two UNO practicum students, which is something I've never done before, and based on their feedback, they learned a lot from me and were excited to pursue a Library job in the future.
My ITL Cohort!
Our Dundee professional learning goal this year was to utilize learning goals before, during, and after our lessons. I feel like I was on the right path with learning targets, as I have them in every lesson, but this year I was really trying to remember to refer to them not only before the lesson, but during and after. Next year I will add in exit tickets to see if students understood the Learning Targets. I feel like I had some success with this goal this year. Another great thing that happened at Dundee is that we were named a National Blue Ribbon School this year, what an amazing thing to think that I had a part in this!
I continue to work on incorporating new technologies and teaching practices with this job. I know that education changes, almost daily, and I refuse to stay still. This year we have tried so many new tools, some successes, some failures, I like to keep it fresh and exciting for the kids. Some of these new tools include Flipgrid, MineCraft EDU, SeeSaw, Ozobots, and several new makerspace kits. The students learned how to use them with me, they saw that sometimes I failed and sometimes they figured out the problem and helped the class. What a far cry from the librarian I had when I was growing up! My hope is that the library is a place of learning and joy for these students, and I think that when I show them I'm not afraid to fail, and I give them new things to try, they are more likely to find successes in the failures. Next year my theme will be FAIL (First Attempt In Learning). Who knows what fun tools and learning opportunities will come in the future?
Kindergartners coding during Hour of Code Week
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).
