Shifting to Virtual

Iroquois Middle School started out the year with students choosing either a hybrid or fully-remote attendance option.  However, as the number of COVID-19 cases continued to rise in Western New York, it no longer became possible to continue with the hybrid model of learning.  Pivoting to solely virtual learning did not come as the surprise it did in March 2020, but the fact that we are now not face-to-face with our students is tinged with a bit of sadness.  In order to prepare for the challenges of this newest normal, updates were made to the library's offerings and services.

Bitmoji Library Homepage Upgrade
I was incredibly reluctant to jump on the Bitmoji bandwagon.  I think that I was concerned about accessibility (and also somewhat put off by something that seemed too "trendy" to me).  However, after exploring accessibility options and seeing examples of Bitmoji classrooms that weren't too cluttered and busy, I decided to give it a try.  Ann Marshall, librarian at Cleveland Hill Middle School, alerted me to the free Canva Education upgrade.  Through this service, it was easy to create a Bitmoji library page.

I updated the library website's homepage to include a clickable library scene.  This was accomplished through layering URL-linked pictures onto a background image.  By downloading the finished product as a PDF, the clickable properties were retained.  This enables library website visitors to click through the links on the image to explore the library website.  All of the clickable links are also available on the left-hand menu for those that would prefer not to deal with the image.

I was able to personalize this page by including a Bitmoji that (kind of?) looks like me, in addition to clickable versions of my actual cats, Boots and Dora.  This level of personalization might help to make the library website feel a little more cozy as our school community spends time apart.

The image used for the updated library homepage.

Virtual Makerspace
Something that had been on my to-do list was to add a virtual makerspace to the library's offerings.  Last year I was excited about the physical makerspace added to the library's footprint.  Due to current restrictions, the physical makerspace is no longer in use.  Using the same process as I followed for the library homepage, I added a clickable virtual makerspace.  Below the image, I also included a list of direct links for people that would prefer to access the websites that way.  The dog I used for the image is Winnie, my brother's Pitbull.

One of the items that I really like on the makerspace is the virtual Stick Together puzzle.  This is a collaborative project where students can add stickers to a background in order to reveal a mystery image.  We had an actual Stick Together puzzle in our library, so it is nice to have an online version in our virtual space.

The image used for the virtual makerspace.

Expanded Reading Recommendations
Earlier in the year, the students in Mrs. Maulucci's class viewed book trailers in order to gather ideas about books they may want to read this year.  At the end of this period, the students then filled out a form providing book recommendations to their peers.  I was able to utilize their recommendations to add a quick slideshow to the Reading Recommendations page on the library website.  I find that students really enjoy hearing what their peers are reading, so hopefully this will help to connect students to books they would be interested in reading!

Canva was utilized to make the recommendation slideshow.

November 2020 and Beyond
Thankfully we had some warning before the pivot back to solely virtual learning.  I was glad to be able to get many books in the hands of students before the building shut down.  As teachers smooth out their new routines with their students, I am looking forward to adding some library events to the schedule.  As indicated on the student surveys in the beginning of the year, Kahoot/Gimkit competitions and book clubs would be welcomed.  The virtual environment presents many challenges, but a host of opportunities for connection as well!

November 2020 Monthly Report

End of Year 2018-2019

Although the weather doesn't want to cooperate, summer IS actually here!  Today marked the eighth grade graduation ceremony, a bittersweet day of endings as well as new beginnings.

Looking back upon this year, there were many wonderful things happening in our library. More teachers and classes utilized library services, more books circulated, and there were ample opportunities for students to take part in "extras" such as book clubs and STEM groups. 

As next school year will be here before we know it, I'll be taking some time to participate in summer professional development sessions in order to gather more ideas for the library.  It will be exciting to see what awaits in 2019-2020!

December 2017 Library Visits

Happy New Year!  It's always tough to get back into the swing of school after a break, but it is nice to return to familiar faces and a more structured routine.  December 2017 welcomed class visits as well as special events within the Iroquois Middle School Library.

Book Bistro
On December 7th, the annual Book Bistro for Iroquois Middle School staff members took place.  It was a great day of food and fun!  Click here to read more about the Book Bistro event.

The Omnivore's Dilemma Project
The largest research project of December was done with the eighth grade students in Mrs. Maulucci and Mrs. Mule's classes.  After reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, students gained knowledge about the health, environmental, and economic issues surrounding the food we all eat.  This led to more questions about food issues and a desire to explore these questions in greater depth.

The project required students to develop a claim based on topics within the book, then find credible sources that supported the claim.  Students were introduced to library resources, in particular the Opposing Viewpoints in Context and Teen Health and Wellness databases, in order to find evidence for their claim.

This was the first project in the library that was completed via Microsoft Office 365 Class Notebook.  The online notebook provided a digital way for students to stay organized.  Within the notebook, students found the project requirements, grading rubric, passwords for library resources, and a space to record their notes.  This digital organization also gave Mrs. Maulucci and Mrs. Mule the ability to check in on students' progress throughout the project.

Once a claim was formulated and supporting evidence was solidified, students were able to choose how to present their findings to the class.  Although the majority of the students used PowerPoint, some chose to make posters, record videos, or use digital services such as Sway, Screencast-o-Matic.

A presentation discussed food poisoning.

Claims about a vegan diet was the focus of another presentation.

Overall, students' presentations were well-organized and informative!  Some students struggled with the idea of a claim, and instead presented about a topic.  This is a high-level skill that will be continually developed through ELA classes and research.

Reading Conferences and Book Selection
Many classes continue to frequent the library for book selection.  The sixth grade reading classes are well underway with their 40 Book Challenge, meaning they are often seen in the library selecting new titles.  Mrs. Whalen's reading class has also been using the library space to host small group meetings about their classroom book, Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin.  The flexible seating allows for each group to find a place where they can comfortably hold a book discussion.  During the short month of December, 383 books were checked out or renewed.

Genre/Book Tasting
Mrs. Nicosia was excited to try a book/genre tasting with the sixth grade students in her reading class.  Although I had previously worked on speedbooking activities, I had never hosted a book tasting.  In order to prepare for the experience, I was able to draw upon other tastings conducted by educators.  I found the blog entries from Bubble Up Classroom by Corey Thornblad and Gretchen Hazlin and The Unquiet Librarian by Buffy Hamilton to be particularly helpful.  Using ideas and resources presented from both blogs, I now felt like I had a good foundation to host a book/genre tasting.  It was very helpful that these educators graciously shared their resources and insights.

Taking Mrs. Nicosia's students into account, I chose to focus on some of the genres where students were having difficulties finding engaging titles.  This class is particularly adept at reading graphic novels, so that category was not included.  The genres featured included historical fiction, poetry/novels in verse, mystery fiction, nonfiction/biographies, science fiction/fantasy, and realistic fiction.  Canva was used to create beautiful signage for our library (which was turned into the Genre Cafe for the event!).

The featured selections for Mrs. Nicosia's genre tasting.

When students entered the library, they were greeted by tables full of selections from the featured genres.  Each table also included a place setting, candle, and description of the genre.  As students moved through each table, they recorded their impressions of the books they chose to "taste" during the activity.

The science fiction/fantasy table for the genre tasting.

The nonfiction/biography selections.

Students "tasted" their books and recorded their impressions.

There were many positives associated with conducting this type of activity.  Most importantly, it exposed students to a variety of books that they may not have have previously viewed.  Students also seemed to really enjoy pretending that they were at a fancy restaurant!

If I were to host another book/genre tasting in the future, I would make some changes.  The activity took place right before winter break, so behaviors were a bit of an issue--students were excited to leave for break, so some needed extra prompts to get on track!  Also, this event requires lots of setup time.  I thought the early morning time before school would be sufficient for setting up, but time was tight.  It would make more sense to set this activity up the night before.  Mrs. Whalen's students will be coming in during January to have their own genre tasting.  Hopefully it goes just as well!

American Revolution Day
On the final day before winter break, all seventh grade students participated in American Revolution Day.  This coincided with the content they were learning about in their Social Studies classes.  There were many stations located around the school where students took part in activities pertaining to colonial times.  The library housed the problem solving station.  While in the library, students cracked a code, worked on a logic puzzle, and attempted to guess the uses of some colonial artifacts (and replicas).

Since my mom is a history buff and a generous person, I was able to borrow sixteen different items to use for the activity.  Student groups took their best guesses as to what all of the items were used for.  Although some of the items were obvious, there were definitely some tricky items as well.  The winning groups guessed thirteen out of sixteen items correctly.

Student groups guessed the uses of colonial items.

This item is a patten, which is a primitive form of ice skate.

This is a type of lantern that could be hung outdoors.

Although December was a short month, there was still lots of activity within the library.  Looking forward to more projects in 2018!

Iroquois Middle School December Report