Miss Melissa

I've been reading up on flexible & fixed scheduling, trying to figure out a way to make the work we do in our library more effective and more in sync with what classrooms are up to. I work in a grades 3-5 elementary school, and there are six classes in each grade level. I am extremely fortunate to have a full time paraprofessional teaching with me, and feel that we could offer our teachers and students a lot more timely and relevant response to information needs.

My instincts are te… Continue

I tried to post this last night (12/17/07), but something was wacky w/ TLning. Here are my thoughts, the day after. The "Secret Project" is no longer a secret, nor should it be.

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Joyce Valenza mentioned the online photo-storytelling tool, VoiceThread, as she cruised through new technologies for teaching & learning at AASL in October 2007. The quick demo she showed set off a fireworks display in my brain...possible uses for this technology in collaboration w/ classroom teachers were exploding in my mind.

Here's the idea: you post a photo, and record audio to "comment" about the photo. Multiple "voices" can be added to… Continue

"We found a giant bug!" A few third grade girls suddenly hung breathlessly around my waist at recess today, gasping news of their discovery before dashing back to monitor the critter's slow progress across our school's courtyard. Compelled by their excitement, I rushed over to see the thing for myself, and wasn't disappointed. It was huge! An insect a good 3 inches long lurched its way through a circle of sneakers with giant pincer-like legs.

Over the next 15 minutes, no fewer t… Continue

Presenter Doug Johnson spent the morning challenging us to change the way we teach our "net gen" students this year. We brainstormed the plus, minus and interesting points of e-books and talked about how the distinct attributes of this generation of students will affect the buildings, resources, services and mission of our schools, and more specifically, school libraries.

When I imagine a paperless society (taking the e-book to its natural extre… Continue