Middle School Media Minutes
Volume 4 Issue 2 October 2015
Temporary Media Center Hours
Thanks to everyone for being adaptable with my unexpected absence from the media center. Unfortunatley the media center will need to remain closed on my scheduled days throughout my recovery period. Mrs. Madden & Mrs. O’Mara will still be here working their regular schedules (see below). I strongly encourage students to take care of library business on days that Mrs. Madden and Mrs. O’Mara are here otherwise students will not be monitored and will have to manually sign books out. Both rooms will continue to be open to small groups and classes provided a staff member accompanies them. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
Bolich:
Monday & Thursday - Closed; Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday Open - Mrs. O'Mara
Roberts:
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday - Open - Mrs. Madden; Wednesday & Friday - Closed
Bolich Stats
Bolich August/September
Days of Access to Media Center: 9 full days & 2 test days/
17 (lost one day for voting and two for testing)
# of items circulated: 639/1408
New items added: 0/149
Before School Drop Ins: 8/144
Student Drop Ins: 12/939
Small Group Drop Ins: 4/28
Classes/large group Drop Ins: 0/26
Student assists: 4/57
Lessons taught: 24/19
Teacher Assists: 6/16
Roberts Stats
Roberts August/September
Days of Access to Media Center: 9 full days and 3 testing days/20
# of items circulated: 452/1075
New items added: 17/71
Before School Drop Ins: 1/15
Student Drop Ins: 30/430
Small Group Drop Ins: 5/18
Classes/large group Drop Ins: 2/8
Student assists: 35/166
Lessons taught: 14/33
Teacher Assists: 14/38
We've Gone Social
The media centers are going social. Follow us on Twitter @CFallsMediaCtr and Facebook CFalls Middle School Libraries
53 Ways to Check for Understanding
Are you looking for a new way to check your students for understanding? Try one of the 53 Ways To Check for Understanding posted by edutopia.org. There is everything from sketching out what you learned (for those artistic students) to creating a “muddy moment” where students list what is confusing them about the topic. Thanks Julie Wilson, principal at Richardson for Tweeting this out.
To Copy, Burn or Download...or not
Did you know that if an item is available to purchase it’s illegal to copy/burn or download a copy of it even if it is for educational purposes? Copyright law allows the holder of the item to make only enough copies (usually one) for archival purposes only. If you find you are using copies of anything the district should be purchasing for you let’s talk about getting you legitimate copies before we find ourselves in the middle of a lawsuit.
New Resources
Although new resources are placed in certain buildings, they can be borrowed by any staff member through inter library loan. Come see us when you want to take out any of the new items.
Career:
- Calling All Innovators series: Wind, Solar and Geothermal Power, High-Speed Trains, Food Engineering, Video Games, Apps & Internet Security - a wonderful career series featuring current hot topics and some of the most well-known people from each industry. Then each edition interviews an expert and gets into what kids need to know to get into the field to be successful. (RO) Robotics (BO & RO)
- Unusual and Awesome Jobs in Science: Food Taster, Human Lie Detector, and More by Jennifer Wendinger – Kids learn about some of the most uncommon, but necessary, jobs no one knows about (I call dibs on the professional sleeperJ ).
- The Ancient World series– Ancient India & Ancient Mesopotamia. These comprehensive editions for middle school include maps, timelines, biographies of historical figures and tons of color photos/illustrations to keep readers engaged. (RO)
- Ebola Fears & Facts by Patricia Newman - As Ebola continues to be a global fear, this timely edition covers the disease, compares it to others and offers ways to combat it. Included are charts, diagrams, a glossary, source notes and more. (BO & RO)
- Fatal Fever Tracking Down Typhoid Mary by Gail Jarrow - A detailed look into the typhoid epidemic which began in 1903. Included are the spread of the disease, its containment, the link to Molly Mallone and her life. A glossary, timeline, source notes, “for more information” etc. (BO & RO) Great nonfiction companion to Deadly by Julie Chibbaro (BO & RO)
- Jackie Robinson Breaks the Color Barrier by Bo Smolka - Focusing mostly on baseball and Robinson’s time there, little is mentioned of his life before entering the industry. Once the two forces meet though the book is quite descriptive including many photos and news clippings. Includes a timeline, glossary and for more information section. (BO & RO)
- Pope Francis: Catholic Spiritual Leader by Kris Woll - Reviewing his life from his birth in Argentina through present day, this edition shows what it’s like to be pope and live in the spotlight. Includes a timeline, glossary and read more section. (BO & RO)
- The Quotable Founding Fathers: A Treasury of 2,500 Wise and Witty Quotations from the Men and Women Who Created America Edited by Buckner F. Melton Jr. (RO) The title says it all.
- STEM in Sports: Math by James Buckley, Jr. Kids learn where the math lies in all the sports they love. Each chapter ends with text-dependent questions and a research project. Included are resources, a glossary and index. (BO & RO) Stem teachers: If you like this book, the series has editions in science, technology and engineering. Let me know if you are interested.
- When the Earth Shakes; Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis by Simon Winchester - Full of color photos, diagrams and wonderful descriptions, this book delves into these three natural disasters and their commonality. (BO, RO)
- Child Soldier When Boys and Girls are Used in War by Jessica Dee Humphreys & Michel Chikwanine – Learn about Michel’s story as a child soldier from the Congo in the 1990s in this touching graphic novel. Included is information about Michel today, child soldiers and how to become involved in the cause. (BO & RO)
- Romeo & Juliet The Graphic Novel by William Shakespeare (RO) - For those chomping at the bit to read Shakespeare, but not quite ready for the language.
- The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum a great addition for the holidays complete with beautiful color drawings by Michael Hague (RO)
- Midnight Magic by AVI – full classroom set of 30 copies in book room (BO)
- The Seer of Shadows by AVI – 7 copies in book room (BO)
- Victoria’s Chance – a look at two families in Ghana where education is cherished and what a good education means to families who live in poverty. This covers economics, African cultures, accountability, competition and more standards. (BO & RO)
Fall Book Fair Preview (BO & RO) all these items will be available at the book fair:
· Adrift by Paul Griffin – Five teens stuck in a boat with no boating skills.
· All Fall Down by Ally Carter – book one of the Embassy Row mystery series
· Courage & Defiance Stories of Spies, Saboteurs, and Survivors in World War II Denmark by Deborah Hopkins
· Code of Honor by Alan Gratz – How is an American boy with an Iranian mother supposed to feel when his older brother is accused of being a terrorist?
· I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest – Part text, part graphic novel, Princess X is a fictional character invented by two young friends who reappears years after one of their deaths.
· A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen – A fictional account of what happens when a family is divided on both sides of the Berlin Wall.
· Sunny Side-Up by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm – Already earning starred reviews this graphic novel depicts Sunny’s summer in Florida with her grandfather.
· This Side of Home by Renee Watson – An urban fiction novel depicting the introduction of a white family into a black neighborhood.
Karen Gedeon
The Media Center - The Heart of Every Successful School
Check out a review of every book I read at: www.shelfari.com/kgedeon2
Email: cf_gedeonk@cfalls.org
Website: cfallsmsmediactr.weebly.com
Phone: 330-926-3809 502414
Facebook: facebook.com/CFallsMiddleSchoolLibraries
Twitter: @CFallsMediaCtr