September Saga
News from the Creston MediaPlex
Deadlines in the Mirror May Be Closer than they Appear
In some ways, I think the end of the first quarter is the most hectic: first report card, preparation for conferences, and for us, the book fair. This year we have more performance assessments and new programs.
International Dot Day: September 15 (and continuing through the week)
I will be doing some activities with our CIA students during this week's visits. There are lots of great ideas on this page and the official registration page. The story of The Dot deals with a teacher encouraging students to make their mark in the world. Many schools around the world will be making connections and doing activities throughout the week. I have 2 copies of the book, plus a DVD that can be borrowed.
Assessments: Would Working in One of Our Labs Help?
If you need assistance signing up or checking the Google calendars for lab availability, please let me know. The three of us who are intermediate/middle media specialists have been working to collect resources that will help you with the assessments. For example, for the 6th grade book trailers, there is a document in the 5-6 Google Community Other resources are in the 7-8 Community.
Next Week: Special Schedule
Next week, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (21st-23rd) will be open checkout days for both schools. Teachers may send individuals, groups, or even bring an entire class (15-minute limit) Thursday, Friday, and Monday the 28th will be book fair preview days. You can access (and edit) the schedule for those days here. (This is just for the main part of the media center, and is separate from google calendars for the labs.)
AMLE National Convention During Break: October 15-17 in Columbus, OH
Shirley Wright of IMLEA (Indiana Middle Level Educator Association) has made an arrangement with the national association to register Indiana educators together in order to obtain a deep discount. Currently, there are at least 67 people from Indiana on her "super team". The conference has a fabulous line up, and is nearby in Columbus, OH. Let me know if you are interested; I am going. There is nothing to compare with a conference with over 1000 middle level educators! Learn more here.
Indiana Computer Educator Conference, October 14-16
This conference will also be during break at Noblesville HS. I went last year, and it was a great deal for only $100. They have several nationally-known speakers, it includes breakfast and lunch, favors, door prizes, and very useful sessions and fun attendees. I would go again if I could! You can find out more here.
The Library Has a Google Classroom
I have created a section for each grade level. I will be happy to post resources to students to help with any assignments. Classroom just keeps adding great new features! You can even push out a webpage instantly with one new app, or immediately add to one of your class pages. By having a library class page, I hope that students will access our page even more.
Special Research Page for Warren Township
We are fortunate to have a special page with easy-accessible links to the electronic databases we get for free from both INSPIRE (Indiana State Library) and the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation. Students may even use these resources at home. Please let me know if you would like for me to review this with your students, either in the library or in your classroom. These resources are a much better alternative than just "googling" something.
Ed Leadership Issue: Questioning for Learning
While some of the articles in this edition are for subscribers only, there are several worthwhile ones you can access. In addition, we have a great book called Know What to Ask: Forming Great Research Questions that teachers have used in the past.
As promised.... When Students Were Asked What They WANT to Read... (Last Month We Shared Their Favorites)
6th Grade
5th grade was similar, but even more wimpy.
7th
(You can click on any of these to enlarge.)
8th
All results are available at this link.
So, What Does This Wordle Represent?
Circulation Stats: Print Up Slightly, eBooks Up Considerably
For the month of August, we checked out 2736 print books, or a little over two books per student. This was an increase of about 30 from 2014. However, we did have a greater increase in eBooks and books placed on hold. In August, 2014, we did not have any eBooks checked out, but last month we had 84 checked out. The number of holds placed on books increased from 10 to 59. The eBook market for schools is still a bit unsettled, but we are adding more popular and simultaneous, multiple user titles. We will be reminding students that they can check out our eBooks during break.
Creston MediaPlex
Serving both Creston Middle School and Creston Intermediate Academy staff and students. Let us know how we can assist you!
Email: shighley@warren.k12.in.us
Website: http://destiny.warren.k12.in.us/common/servlet/presenthomeform.do;jsessionid=0D8BAF1D21F3F2261C4BE64ACAF14B4E?l2m=Home&tm=Home
Phone: 317.532.6800.6806
Twitter: @crestonlibrary1