The December Report
From Your Library Learning Commons
Write for Rights Campaign
- Have your class listen to the announcements about the victims of torture that Amnesty International is supporting this year.
- Encourage your students to go online and sign the petitions online.
- Come down and invite your students to come down to the atrium from December 7-10 to sign the petitions and get a small treat!
We plan on starting the Write for Rights Campaign a little earlier next year to see if teachers can find easy ways to transition the lessons into their classes. If you are still interested in participating this year, you can follow the link below.
Trip to UTM
Forest of Reading
- A display of the books in the display case in the atrium, as well as in the library
- A "Wall of Fame" of staff sponsors will be put in the library with a list of the books that they have read so students know who to approach about the book that they have read.
- A "passport" for students to get signed by the teacher sponsors to determine that they have read the book.
- We are having a launch breakfast to kick off the program in January. Staff are invited as well.
- We are offering students a chances to win prizes depending on the number of books that they read (i.e. read 2 books - get a chance to win a $15 gift card at Chapters, read 4 books - get a chance to win a $25 gift card at Chapters)
- Bi-weekly dessert and discussion sessions at lunch
If you are still in interested in participating in the Forest of Reading as a staff sponsor, it is not too late! Check out the links below and let us know what book you are interested in reading!
https://www.accessola.org/web/OLAWEB/Forest_of_Reading/Awards_Nominees/Golden_Oak_Nominees.aspx
Furniture in the Library Learning Commons
The whiteboard table is also very popular with students :)
Collaboration and the Library Learning Commons
- Personalized lesson planning for your assignments. When you send us an assignment, we do the research before your classes get here to make sure we are aware of any potential research problems that your students may have. We build and customize smores to make it easier for your students to know what to do and how to do it.
- Students are great at using technology, but not researching. It's always a bit surprising how many students don't know how to navigate the stacks or know how to do a proper Boolean search to find what they need. Although many of our students are tech savvy with social media, they are not great at research. Our goal is to help them become better researchers and better at evaluating sources.
- Presentation of teaching and learning tools. If you are not comfortable teaching or using a particular educational strategy, we are more than happy to show your students how to use them (i.e. Bitstrips, Comic Life, Smores, One Note etc.). Just give us a few days notice and we will put something together for your students.
- We provide the materials that your students need to do their assignments to the best of their ability. With your input, we order books and other resources to help your students complete their research right here at LASS.
We want to help you and your department minimize the number of potential reasons that students often give for not getting their work done. One of our main goals is to support you as best we can. If there are things that you would like to see that you feel we are not doing, your feedback is always welcomed and appreciated.
New Books
- Humans of New York, Stories - Brandon Stanton (this is one of my personal favourites)
- The Nightingale - Kristen Hannah
- At the Water's Edge - Sara Gruen
- Why Not Me - Mindy Kaling
- The Martian - Andy Weir
- The Stone Thrower - Jael Ealey Richardson
We are always taking requests for new books so please don't hesitate to send your requests to us!
Thank you for your ongoing support of the Library Learning Commons @ LASS!
Sincerely,
Jonelle, Matt and Holly