Adventures in WONDERland
News of Inquiry, Reading & Collaboration @ the HMS LIBRARY
A school library with a sense of WONDER (curiosity and questioning) at its heart.....
December 2015
What happens in the HMS library? Gone are the days of simply checking out books, although supporting and promoting reading are still important in our daily lives. Now, we do that and so much more. Curious? Read on!
Reading
Reading is one of our two district library standards which has been and always will be important! Years ago our entire building adopted the philosophy of Nancie Atwell, winner of the Global Teacher Prize: if you want students to become lifelong readers, allow them to choose their own books to read. This has nurtured a rich climate of reading at HMS for information as well as for pleasure.
Inquiry
Inquiry is our district's other library standard that involves six steps or phases:
Connect (engage)
Wonder (question)
Investigate (research)
Create Meaning (make sense of)
Express (share in some way)
Reflect (think about the process / the bigger picture)
We intentionally use the Inquiry process for our bigger research projects in Grades 5 - 8. If you think about it, though, we actually use the Inquiry process on a daily basis for most things in our lives, both big and small.
Connect (engage)
Wonder (question)
Investigate (research)
Create Meaning (make sense of)
Express (share in some way)
Reflect (think about the process / the bigger picture)
We intentionally use the Inquiry process for our bigger research projects in Grades 5 - 8. If you think about it, though, we actually use the Inquiry process on a daily basis for most things in our lives, both big and small.
Collaboration
We provide a supportive space for students to work together on projects. Our Green Room (formerly for storage of periodicals) is now a space for audio and video recording. The soon-to-be-added glass whiteboard table tops will provide another tool with rich opportunities for collaboration. And please note: the school librarian and grade-level teams regularly collaborate to plan Inquiry projects and activities.
A Reminder About Our eBooks and Devices that Support Them
As the holidays approach and eReaders are considered for gift-giving, remember: the HMS Library has OVER 400 eBOOK TITLES available for our students to borrow. They are loaned (electronically, of course) for two weeks at a time, completely free of charge! Most of our books are available in both Kindle and ePub formats, so whatever device you have - even a computer - it will likely work!
To borrow, your child will need three things (in addition to a device):
1. Access to the HMS Library web site which has the link to OverDrive (our eBook provider).
2. A library card number, which is the student's HMS Library number (7 digits long; begins with the expected year of graduation).
3. PIN, which is the student's last name, all lower case (case-sensitive).
Enjoy reading, no matter what the format!
To borrow, your child will need three things (in addition to a device):
1. Access to the HMS Library web site which has the link to OverDrive (our eBook provider).
2. A library card number, which is the student's HMS Library number (7 digits long; begins with the expected year of graduation).
3. PIN, which is the student's last name, all lower case (case-sensitive).
Enjoy reading, no matter what the format!
A HUGE Thanks to YEF AND PTO!
We very recently received word that the HMS Library has received the following:
From YEF: Joan Adler and Merry Stuhr received a grant for custom-sized glass whiteboard table tops for every table in the HMS Library!
From PTO: We received funding for a new iPad Mini and a new "Buoy" chair!
Once all of these items are in place we will provide more details, along with PHOTOS!
Our deepest gratitude to both YEF and PTO for these wonderful additions that will benefit every student at Harrison Middle School!
From YEF: Joan Adler and Merry Stuhr received a grant for custom-sized glass whiteboard table tops for every table in the HMS Library!
From PTO: We received funding for a new iPad Mini and a new "Buoy" chair!
Once all of these items are in place we will provide more details, along with PHOTOS!
Our deepest gratitude to both YEF and PTO for these wonderful additions that will benefit every student at Harrison Middle School!
The HMS Library in Action!
Author Watt Key and HMS Welcoming Committee
Ms. Adler introduces Watt Key at Merrill Memorial Library.
Mrs. Weinrich and her Alabama Moon discussion group
Andrew Dolloff leading an Alabama Moon discussion group.
Some students reading at our Literary Cafe during Teen Read Week in October.
Seventh graders reading in the HMS Library during Language Arts class.
Fifth Graders Explore the World Through a Mini-Inquiry
This fall, our (new-to-the-building) fifth graders had a series of library orientation classes to help them become familiar with their new library while also experiencing the Inquiry process! Here, in a nutshell, is what the process looked like:
CONNECT:
• Students explored the entire nonfiction section, writing down titles/topics that looked exciting and intriguing.
• Options were narrowed down to one topic, then......
WONDER:
• What would you like to know about your topic?
• What sparks your curiosity about this topic?
• Has anything confused you about it that you'd like to clear up?
• Each student brainstormed questions about his/her topic, then.....
INVESTIGATE:
• Students each had a resource to use for research.
• We had a lesson on the Dot Jot method of notetaking, which helps students engage with what they're reading and also helps prevents plagiarism.
• We also learned how to cite sources, MLA-style, using the online bibliography tool, NoodleTools.
CREATE MEANING:
• As students worked, they amazed others at their table with what they were finding.
• Some felt a little frustrated that they couldn't find answers to all their questions so we had a class discussion about this since some of the best questions in the world are still unanswered!
EXPRESS:
• We had a whole-class sharing time where each student could share the most exciting or interesting things they discovered about their topic.
• Others in the class had an opportunity to ask questions of them. (This was amazing! We all learned some fascinating things which sparked new personal inquiries for many of us.)
REFLECT:
• Students were asked to reflect about what they had discovered. (It was impressive to see the deep thinking that went into nearly all of these reflections.)
Truly, we live in an amazing world where EVERY DAY IS AN ADVENTURE!
CONNECT:
• Students explored the entire nonfiction section, writing down titles/topics that looked exciting and intriguing.
• Options were narrowed down to one topic, then......
WONDER:
• What would you like to know about your topic?
• What sparks your curiosity about this topic?
• Has anything confused you about it that you'd like to clear up?
• Each student brainstormed questions about his/her topic, then.....
INVESTIGATE:
• Students each had a resource to use for research.
• We had a lesson on the Dot Jot method of notetaking, which helps students engage with what they're reading and also helps prevents plagiarism.
• We also learned how to cite sources, MLA-style, using the online bibliography tool, NoodleTools.
CREATE MEANING:
• As students worked, they amazed others at their table with what they were finding.
• Some felt a little frustrated that they couldn't find answers to all their questions so we had a class discussion about this since some of the best questions in the world are still unanswered!
EXPRESS:
• We had a whole-class sharing time where each student could share the most exciting or interesting things they discovered about their topic.
• Others in the class had an opportunity to ask questions of them. (This was amazing! We all learned some fascinating things which sparked new personal inquiries for many of us.)
REFLECT:
• Students were asked to reflect about what they had discovered. (It was impressive to see the deep thinking that went into nearly all of these reflections.)
Truly, we live in an amazing world where EVERY DAY IS AN ADVENTURE!
About the Harrison Middle School Library
School Librarian: Merry Stuhr, MLS
Library Ed. Tech.: Tracy Weinrich
Library Ed. Tech.: Tracy Weinrich
Hours: 7:30 - 3:00
(follow HMS Announcements for occasional after-school closures, as well as extended library times for special collaborative projects)
Email: merry_stuhr@yarmouthschools.org
Website: hmslibrary.yarmouthschools.org
Location: 220 Mccartney Street, Yarmouth, ME, United States
Phone: 207.846.2499