Media Center Wrap-up
March, 2016
The NES Media Center Mission Statement
The mission at Northwinds Elementary Media Center is to provide a learning environment where students and staff are effective users of information and technology and where students are fostered to become life long learners and readers.
Before school check-out!
Finished books over the week-end!
Before school check-out
Starting out a Monday morning with books!
Birthday Book
A little brother found his sister's donated birthday book.
Media Statistics
Total circulations as of April 10, 2016: 29,479
Total number of students typically coming to the M.C. in one week (5 days) with their classes: ~866
The week of Feb. 29: 40
The week of March 14: 52
The week of March 21: 65
Media Center
Email: jmolson@bhmschools.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/bhmschools.org/northwinds-media-center/
Location: 1111 7th Ave. NW Buffalo, MN 55313
Phone: 763-682-8845
Twitter: @northwindsmedia
Kindergarten
Computer Lab: We've been continuing on with Teach Your Monster to Read (TYMTR) but during the month of March, students who have reached the third level have been started on ABC Mouse, another program which progresses students through skills. Both online programs are free educational programs which require log-ins. As students progress in TYMTR to Level III, they will also be starting ABC Mouse.
Media Center: Students celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with special hats and then moved on to cover different versions of Goldilocks and the Three bears. Students are being exposed to the word folktale and what that means. As we read a different version each rotation, the students compare and contrast what is happening in the story with other versions they've heard. Next came The Three Little Pigs with different versions as well. Both stories started with a BookFlix version, a special online subscription that our NES PTO has funded. Parents may access this at home so if anyone is interested, they should contact Mrs. Olson.
Media Center: Students celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with special hats and then moved on to cover different versions of Goldilocks and the Three bears. Students are being exposed to the word folktale and what that means. As we read a different version each rotation, the students compare and contrast what is happening in the story with other versions they've heard. Next came The Three Little Pigs with different versions as well. Both stories started with a BookFlix version, a special online subscription that our NES PTO has funded. Parents may access this at home so if anyone is interested, they should contact Mrs. Olson.
1st Grade
Computer Lab: The first graders finished up Tux Paint with learning all the "super cool" magic pen tools available. Each rotation, a few more magic pen tools were introduced. After finishing up Tux Paint, students were introduced to Encyclopedia Britannica's Learning Zone for grades in K-2. This is a free program for all MN schools paid for by our MN legislature. Families may access this wonderful website from home but need to go through the public library's website and use their username and password from their library card. From our school, it's a lot easier.
Media Center: First grade finished up their illustration unit, studying collage (think Eric Carle books and The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats), colored pencil drawings where they heard a historical fiction book from the depression titled Saving Strawberry Farm.They also looked at marker (Harold and the Purple Crayon) and then wrapped up the illustration unit by hearing the story Dog Loves Drawing. We've been starting to talk about the "secret password" when we have time before leaving class. That is "last name, comma, first name", learning about how we use last names to alphabetize and orgainze names.
Media Center: First grade finished up their illustration unit, studying collage (think Eric Carle books and The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats), colored pencil drawings where they heard a historical fiction book from the depression titled Saving Strawberry Farm.They also looked at marker (Harold and the Purple Crayon) and then wrapped up the illustration unit by hearing the story Dog Loves Drawing. We've been starting to talk about the "secret password" when we have time before leaving class. That is "last name, comma, first name", learning about how we use last names to alphabetize and orgainze names.
2nd Grade
Computer Lab: Students wrote personal narratives in their classrooms and then brought those stories to the media center to watch as their best handwritten story was scanned in the Computer Lab and then saved to eventually add to their ePortfolio. Students also drew four Tux Paint drawings to illustrate their story. Students then went to their Google account where they created a Google Doc and then added their paintings along with their writing.
Media Center: Students wrapped up the illustration unit, learning about how linoleum blocks are used to make illustrations, complete with some examples from our High School, thanks to BHS art teacher John Gunderson. Students also looked at photography, fabric, mixed media, and how different brushes, and different paper affect the illustrations.
Media Center: Students wrapped up the illustration unit, learning about how linoleum blocks are used to make illustrations, complete with some examples from our High School, thanks to BHS art teacher John Gunderson. Students also looked at photography, fabric, mixed media, and how different brushes, and different paper affect the illustrations.
3rd Grade
Computer Lab: Students finished up their keyboarding unit, learning the last few letters of the alphabet along with the shift key and how to make capital letters (not easy for third graders) and some basic punctuation marks. The next rotation found the students making a Google Document and practicing their user name and passwords, all from home position. The students are becoming very familiar with their unique username and password.
Media Center: Students finished up their author study, looking at Bruce Hale (Chet Gecko series), David Adler (Cam Jansen series), Emily Rodda, (Deltora Quest series, Fairy Realm series), Anne Mazer (Sister Magic series and The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes series). Now they've started pre-research lessons, hearing the story When Marion Copied which gets them thinking about plagiarism.
Media Center: Students finished up their author study, looking at Bruce Hale (Chet Gecko series), David Adler (Cam Jansen series), Emily Rodda, (Deltora Quest series, Fairy Realm series), Anne Mazer (Sister Magic series and The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes series). Now they've started pre-research lessons, hearing the story When Marion Copied which gets them thinking about plagiarism.
4th Grade
Computer Lab: Research! See below!
Media Center: Research! Students filled out a bibliography for the two books each student used along with the online source, Kids Info Bits. We're able to use this since the state of MN funds ELM - Electronic Library of Minnesota, free to all media centers and libraries. They learned about note taking and then proceeded to take notes on their state, focusing on the state's tourism, climate and geography. Students were given examples of questions to help guide them as they looked for answers in their sources and wrote up their note cards. Students then organized their notes, wrote topic sentences as well as intro and summary paragraphs and then typed their findings into a Google Doc. Their work is also saved on their ePortfolios.
Media Center: Research! Students filled out a bibliography for the two books each student used along with the online source, Kids Info Bits. We're able to use this since the state of MN funds ELM - Electronic Library of Minnesota, free to all media centers and libraries. They learned about note taking and then proceeded to take notes on their state, focusing on the state's tourism, climate and geography. Students were given examples of questions to help guide them as they looked for answers in their sources and wrote up their note cards. Students then organized their notes, wrote topic sentences as well as intro and summary paragraphs and then typed their findings into a Google Doc. Their work is also saved on their ePortfolios.
5th Grade
Computer Lab: We saved their completed newspapers on the ePortfolio and started their All About Me project, using Power Point. Students are creating seven slides with different topics, all related to themselves. Students brought in a picture so they learned how to scan something in and also, students had a digital picture taken of them in the M.C. to incorporate into their presentation. Each slide has certain criteria for grading and the whole project will be finished soon and ready to evaluate by each student and Mrs. Olson. Scores will be given to the classroom teacher.
Media Center: Students have been going over Destiny, our district's online catalog. They've learned where to find the call number (address of the book), the copyright, the author, title, lexiles, subjects, especially using the last two to narrow broad searches. Students then complete a common district-wide assessment. This has been corrected, with scores given to classroom teachers. One more facet of the common assessment remains but because we will be out of the lab for the next month, more time was given to the technology portion since the laptops don't have Power Point on them and we needed to finish that unit.
Media Center: Students have been going over Destiny, our district's online catalog. They've learned where to find the call number (address of the book), the copyright, the author, title, lexiles, subjects, especially using the last two to narrow broad searches. Students then complete a common district-wide assessment. This has been corrected, with scores given to classroom teachers. One more facet of the common assessment remains but because we will be out of the lab for the next month, more time was given to the technology portion since the laptops don't have Power Point on them and we needed to finish that unit.
Thank you!
I love to team-teach with classroom teachers and have especially enjoyed the units that we were able to do that, in 2nd grade and 4th grade. Thank you!
Help?
Let me know how I can assist you with materials from the media center.