State of the Media Center
2017-2018 School Year
Year in Review
We built on some of last year's adventures, continuing to collect books to distribute to our school community and our Swansboro community. Our Read-in and Read Across America Week was a success, again, including some global activities, like Multi-cultural Day. We also housed my first two Culture Kits from UNC Carolina Navigators. These kits are boxes of artifacts collected by college students studying abroad. University of North Carolina loans them to schools for free for a month to share knowledge of the world with NC public schools.
This year, I was able to do more small group Book Clubs in several grade levels, it was great getting to read for fun with students and getting to talk with the students outside of their class. Our Media Center also began a weekly Maker's Space time on Fridays. Kids could come in to design, free play, and create at the end of the week. Inspired by Caine's Arcade, we also designed our own Cardboard Challenge creations at the end of the year. With the help of one of our tutors and long-term subs we hosted our first Reader's Cafe or Book Tasting! Can't wait to do more of these next year!
Read Across America Week
Book Fair Fun
Makers' Space
Book Clubs
Projects focused on building knowledge that related to the story. Second Grade created a 3D map of Africa, First grade created a Coral Reef Collage, Third Grade created a replica of the Titanic using recycled materials. I created my first online Escape Room, using Office 365, for Fourth Grade students to complete as an assessment of Dear Mr. Henshaw.
The small group discussions, projects, and reflections on the book were so interesting and fun. I want to be able to more of these in the future, especially incorporating more technology.
Pictured below is Second Grade 3D maps and Coral Reef Collages, on the drying table.
Maker's Spaces
Each time, I planned an activity, but students did not have to participate in the planned activity. I set up a variety of games, activities, and techology stations. Students could select their activity or challenge and go to it.
Regular stations included Osmo, Code.org on the SMART Panel, bracelet making, Kinex, word magnets, and puzzles. My planned activity was usually a challenge or building activity of some sort. During the Olympics, student created a bobsled with people and send their bobsled down our makeshift ramps. One week, we created catapults and had a catapult snowball flinging contest with cotton balls. One week, students created Leprechaun Traps; another challenge, to create a new and improved Santa Sleigh.
One of the funniest things I noticed was that many kids would make a beeline to my "recycle center" where they would grab any manner of egg cartons, carboard, and other random items and just start creating like they had been waiting their whole life to have this opportunity.
This soon became the highlight of my week, despite the wildness and messiness factors. Watching all aged students work together to play, solve problems, create and build, it was amazing. Kids that wanted nothing to do with my talk of reading and books opened up as they tried to solve a problem with their catapult. Kids that struggled to stay still in the classroom would sit and work with Kinex for 50 minutes, on task, working, communicating, and staying in one place. Students who struggled to connect with their peers showed patience and compassion while teaching a younger student how to weave a bracelet. It could be really magical.
My "recycle center" is pictured below (on its neatest day).
Daily Library Stats
DAILY LIBRARY STATS
During the 2017-2018 School Year, our Media Center...
- Hosted 450 classes (approximately).
- Hosted small group book clubs for 4 grade levels, meeting 3 days a week.
- Held 2 Scholastic Book Fairs.
- Participated in our school's second Read-In.
- Circulated 21,000 books in and out of our Media Center.
- Collected over 500 books during our Book Drive. These were used to stock our Little Free Library and given to students in June for Summer Reading.
- Participated in 1 Battle of the Books County Tournament.
- Our Top 10 circulated titles included The One and Only Ivan, Captain Underpants Books 2, 10, and 11, Diary of the Wimpy Kid Books, Among the Hidden, and Dork Diaries.
- Genrified 1 Biography Section (or divided it up by genre, in this case, what was the person famous for).
- Received 2 Carolina Navigators Culture Kits, one from Brazil and one from Vietnam.
- Taught 1 Professional Development Session on Social Studies Resources.
- Created 30 Resource Collections using Destiny Discover from Follett.
Book Tasting
Genrification
Culture Kits
Next Year...
With teachers and the community. More research time and tools to share? Another Little Library? A Garden? The opportunities are infinite.
More Digital Citizenship...
I worked with one teacher on Copyright but I would love to do more.
More Book Tastings...
I hosted my first Book Tasting and it was wonderful. I would love to do more of these events with other classes.
More Coding...
I purchased some Dash and Dots and a Sphero so I hope to play with these items and share with our community.
Again, the opportunities are infinite and I cannot wait to see what our community creates and learns next year!
SBES Media Center
Email: meredith.lynch@onslow.k12.nc.us
Website: https://www.onslow.k12.nc.us/domain/3952
Location: 118 School Dr. Swansboro, NC 28584
Phone: 910-326-1501
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SBESMediaCenter/
Twitter: @SBESMediaCenter