Ryan 216 Library Media Center
December 2014 Newsletter
It's getting cold, but things are warming up in the Library!
- They Ryan 216 School Spelling Bee was hosted here, and three of our students will be proceeding to the Queens Borough Spelling Bee in January!
- Our Open-Access Lunch Periods have been bringing in approximately 50 students/day. Advise your students to sign up for a lunch pass in the morning to receive tutoring, look for an independent reading book, or to work in small groups on a project.
- A class set of MacBooks has been set-up for whole class use. If you would like training on how to use a MacBook or iPad or how to utilize them with your entire class, contact me!
- It's been an excellent experience working with Ms. Maniff, Ms. Weirzbowski, and Mr. Xanthus! They have been bringing in their students in order to integrate library/research skills into their Reading, Math and Science classes. Ms. Maniff's classes have been learning the basics of how to utilize the library media center. Students are checking out lots of books and learning how to utilize the electronic catalog to locate resources. Ms. Weirzbowski's class is focusing on understanding questions in word problems, which will lead to developing better questions for research later on. Mr. Xanthus' classes are conducting research on alternate energy sources, using Google docs to collaborate in small groups, and working on presentation skills. Wouldn't you like to bring in your class next? :)
Check out my schedule to see when I am available to collaborate. I can make myself available during PREP, PROF, OA, or LUNCH periods!
Tech Tips- CANVA
Are you looking to spruce up your presentations or posters? Are your students bored of powerpoint and creating posters in word documents? Try out this awesome resource.
Canva was voted as one of the "2014 best websites for teaching and learning". It's a FREE website that allows you to easily create flyers, posters, or presentations with beautifully stocked fonts and graphics. All you have to do is a create a log-in, and you're set to go.
Create dynamic flyers, presentations, banners, infographics, graphics for social media, and other designs incorporating vibrant stock backgrounds, photos, graphics, and fonts, as well as images you upload. Publish completed projects as PDFs or PNGs, or share to Facebook and Twitter. The site includes helpful short how-to and design tip tutorials. If you need some guidance, send me an e-mail or stop by the Library!
This site will help can help your students to reach the AASL's (American Association of School Libraries) Standards for the 21st Century Learner. This applies to students on all grade levels.
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use and assess.
3.3.4 Create products that apply to authentic, real-world context.
Would you like to collaborate? How can we apply this skill to your classroom? Have students work in pairs creating infographics as assessments. Also, have them create flyers promoting extra-curricular activities or posters promoting a book.
Select interesting banners and fonts!
Upload your own pictures!
Give your posters a modern and professional quality!
Brianne Stewart
Email: Bstewart3@schools.nyc.gov
Website: ryan216.org