WHS Library Media Center
Connecting learners with a world of information
Many exciting things have happened this past year in the high school library!
Last spring we were fortunate to win the Big Read contest at the Greene County library. Several of our English and History classes participated and were able to go to the author presentation by Cade Courtley. This young man is an accomplished Navy Seal as well as author and had many interesting and exciting stories to share with our students. We were able to host an additional (local) author this fall at one of our Tiger Tuesday celebrations to share his books about “Haunted Missouri”. This fun presentation was our best attended after school program to date with over 70 students in attendance!
The Tiger Tuesday monthly events remain well attended and successful supplemental programs to our library offerings. A wide range of topics have been offered with snacks, crafts and games being favorite included activities.
Navy Seal and author Cade Courtley
Harry Potter Tiger Tuesday
Hobbit Day Tiger Tuesday
Computer Programs & Access
Our role within the 1-1 environment continues to morph and grow. While I am not directly responsible for repair of equipment, I do spend a large portion of my day assisting with the practical aspect of being in a 1-1 school. Things like helping students to understand what their H Drive is and how to access it, hooking up headsets to their equipment to record PhotoStory or other similar projects and facilitating their journey through the vast amount of information available to them online are just the beginning. Now more than ever our students are bombarded with an infinite amount of material. One of the goals of the high school level media program is to help students learn to quickly evaluate a source, check for accuracy in the information given and decide if it is the best source for the project at hand.
With all juniors now being given the ACT the Learning Express Library has become an even more important program offered to us through MORENet. All the science teachers have been down to enroll their students in the program and instruction has been given as to how it works and the benefits of using it as a study aid.
All freshman English classes have been through a library orientation and many other classes have utilized library services as well. Extended library hours continue this year. On average, 20 students daily take advantage of the extended work time.
The library collection of Nook and Kindle e-readers has spiked in their popularity. The students have become more comfortable with their use and word has gotten around that they are available. Many of the kids have told me how much they like being able to read straight through a series without needing to wait for someone else to return the next copy.
Book Talks
Monthly books talks given to sophomore level English classes also remain a success. Positive feedback from both students and teachers tell us that the students utilize the information we give them to help make good reading choices on their own. The historical fiction book talk was our favorite when Mr. Bond and I dressed up like pilgrims to get into the spirit of how exciting historical fiction can be!
WHS Library Media Center
Email: jillwooldridge@willardschools.net
Website: whsmediacenter.weebly.com
Location: 514 E Jackson St, Willard, MO, United States
Phone: (417)742-5411
Twitter: @WHSMedia_Center