District DIY Contest

It seems the 2020-2021 school year continues to throw curveballs our way.  Throughout the year, we have oscillated between the hybrid model and the 100% virtual models of learning.  Strangely enough, this state of constant change is starting to feel a little more normal.  If there's anything to be said of this year, it's that those in education have become very adept at rolling with the punches!

As our learning model continues to shift, an ongoing challenge for librarians is to facilitate opportunities to build community, especially in the virtual environment.  The librarians at Iroquois Central developed an at-home family challenge to help do just that.

One of the most helpful services organized through our libraries this year has been expanded access to Sora, our district's platform for digitized ebooks and audiobooks.  Even when it was difficult to get physical books in the hands of the Iroquois community, Sora was available 24/7 for students and staff to access books from our digital book collection.  

To highlight the offerings in Sora, librarians utilized STEM grant funding from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to create a mini-collection of STEM/DIY books within Sora.  These books provided the Iroquois community with lots of inspiration for projects that could be completed at home.  The books selected for this collection promoted DIY projects of many types: cooking/baking, LEGO builds, cardboard creations, and computer coding (only to name a few).

The DIY collection was showcased on Sora's main page.

In order to further promote use of the collection, librarians organized a contest centered around use of the Sora books.  The Iroquois Family DIY Contest encouraged families to look at the Sora books and work on an at-home project together.  The contest was open in late December and ran through February 1, 2021.  The contest was publicized by posting information to the Iroquois district Facebook page as well as the websites for the school libraries.  More excitement was generated by emailing students about the contest and "talking it up" in virtual library classes.  The timing of the DIY Contest was perfect, as the cold weather was an excellent time to stay inside and work on some projects!

The contest flyer.

As the contest deadline approached, many amazing submissions were sent in!  Staff members and students across grade levels shared pictures of their wonderful DIY creations.  Pictured below are just a few of the submissions:

An elaborate cardboard fort.

Cat food truck!

A crocheted Josh Allen.

Intricate LEGO house.

Animal origami mobile.

A gorgeous creation from a staff member!

The level of creativity blew the librarians away!  It was amazing to see such displays of creativity, but more importantly, it was fun to see families having fun together during these tough times.  With some of the remaining grant funding, our department was able to provide all participants with prizes.  These prizes varied by age level, but included some project supplies as well as a participation button.  Iroquois librarians look forward to hosting more contests in the future.

DIY Contest prizes.

Hummingbird Robotics Project

December is the designated month for schools to participate in Hour of Code opportunities.  Last year, we had all students in sixth through eighth grade visit the library with their STREAM classes to code with the Finch Robot from BirdBrain Technologies.  This company also offers a coding tool called the Hummingbird Bit.  Over the summer, Mrs. Lambert, Mr. Kwietniewski, and I took part in a training with Erie 1 BOCES instructor Antonio Scordo so we could better use these kits.

The Hummingbird Bit consists of a circuit board, Microbit computer chip, LEDs, and a variety of servos and other attachments.  Students will need to use Microsoft MakeCode to program their Hummingbirds, then build a robot in which to house the Hummingbird's components.  This allows for plenty of flexibility and creativity, all while learning coding, design, and engineering principles.

The Hummingbird Bit.

Mr. Kwietniewski brought his seventh grade STREAM students to the library for December 2019 and part of January 2020 to participate in a challenge involving the Hummingbird Bit.  There would be only four class periods devoted to this project, which made for a tight timeline!

On day one of the project, students selected their own groups of 4-5, then broke into subgroups of coding teams and design teams.  The coding teams learned how to assemble the Hummingbird Bit.  Due to the technical nature of this task, step by step directions were provided via a PowerPoint tutorial.  The design team created a blueprint for their robots, then decided how they would construct their robots.  Each robot had to contain spots to accommodate the five LEDs that the programming group was working with.

Programming groups first built their Hummingbird Bits.

Students then had time to view some programming tutorials.

Design teams sketched their plans for their robots.

Some of the design sketches were very involved.

Each design group also listed the supplies needed for their project.

On days two and three of the project, groups worked extensively on programming their Hummingbird Bits and constructing the robots.  Some teams even decided to devote more time to the project by visiting the library during lunch and study hall!  It was interesting to see the robots come together.  The programming groups also challenged themselves by creating detailed programs using Microsoft MakeCode.  Many groups figured out how to have their LEDs change colors or blink on and off.  Other groups even learned how to incorporate music into their codes.

Using programming to light the LEDs.

Some students brought in their own supplies for their robots.

Students visited during study hall to perfect their designs.

Cardboard was the base for most of the creations.

The fourth day of the project was devoted to presentations.  Student groups worked together for the first half of the class to finalize their programs and embed their Hummingbirds into the robots.  Each group provided a demonstration and brief presentation about their robot and program.  Every group also consulted with Mr. Kwietniewski about how well their team worked together on the project.

Finished product - gingerbread man

Christmas tree scene.

Snowman robot

A hardworking two person team!

To see a gallery of all student groups and their completed robots, click here.

At the conclusion of the fourth day, students filled out a feedback survey outlining their impressions about the project and if they are interested in any future STEM activities.  This feedback will help us as we plan the activity for next year.  Overall, students enjoyed the freedom to work with their friends on a project that was completely their own design.  It seemed that many students would have liked more time devoted to this project.

It was a pleasure having Mr. Kwietniewski and his seventh grade STREAM students in the library!  Hopefully this is just the beginning of many more Hummingbird projects to follow.

Makerspace Progress

Over the summer, I received some exciting news regarding the physical footprint of the library.  The Teacher Resource Center room adjoining the library is now part of the library!  This room was once used as a conference meeting space, but will now be solely student space.

There are many features of the room that make it ideal for a student creation space.  Most importantly, there is an abundance of storage.  This is perfect for storing STEM items, craft supplies, and ongoing student projects.  The space itself is open, making it possible to store the bulky LEGO League mission board.  There is also a bank of windows leading into the library.  This means that students can be working in the creation space while being supervised from the library itself.  A long counter underneath the windows makes for a perfect workbench.  All of these features are opening up many possibilities for our library program!

After lots of cleaning over the summer, the room was ready for its transformation.

The back room prior to any re-purposing.

Here are some pictures of the room in its current state:

The long counter is a perfect workstation.  The bank of windows
make the room visible from the library itself.

All drawers are labeled and contain various craft supplies.

The LEGO League mission board fits perfectly in this large room.

All cabinets are labeled with the supplies each contains.

The LEGO League teams have their own cabinet
where they can keep their supplies organized.

Maker and STEM books have been added to the library's collection. 
Many of the books are now on display in the student creation space.

Access to a sink makes messy projects a reality!

Maker Mondays
Now that the space was ready for visitors, it was time to invite the students in to enjoy the space.  The first "Maker Monday" program took place on Monday, October 7th during sixth grade study hall.  During this time, students were invited to visit the library to participate in coding activities using the BlueBot coding tool.  Students learned how to use the coding tool, then applied their knowledge to tackle various coding challenges.  It was great to see students try something new and work together to meet the needs of each challenge!

Students were challenged to create the longest code possible using the BlueBot.

Students worked together to create a code that would
avoid the fire squares on the BlueBot mat.

There was lots of enthusiasm for the first Maker Monday activity!  Future activities will include STEM challenges as well as craft activities.  The library books purchased will be used for project inspiration.  We're lucky enough to have an abundance of duct tape that needs to be used, too!

Future Steps
We're off to a great start, but there is still a long way to go in building this hands-on component of the library program.  Some next steps include:

1. Naming the student creation space!  I'll be putting together a contest for students to come up with a creative name for their new space.

2. Expanding the Maker Monday program to include new projects and grade levels.  Student input on September's library orientation survey will help with program planning, as they indicated the types of activities they would like to see happen within the library.

3. Decorate the space!  Although the room looks cozier than it once did, there is room for improvement.  Ideally, students should take the lead on making the space their own.

4. Foster more opportunities for student creation through use of recording resources.  We currently have a green screen, but it has yet to be mounted in the space.  Once dedicated recording capabilities are up and running, students will be encouraged to create their own recordings within the library.

Book Bistro 2017

One of the most exciting aspects about working in a new school is getting to know all of the staff members in the building.  A perfect way to meet them is to hold an "adults only" event in the library.

Mrs. Griffin, Iroquois Middle School's previous librarian, held an annual Book Bistro.  This was a day where all staff members were invited to the library to preview the new books, eat some delicious treats, enter raffles, and get a jump on holiday shopping.  When I began at Iroquois, staff members were quick to tell me about how fun it was to have the Book Bistro in the library.  This was clearly a tradition that I needed to carry on!

The Book Bistro took place on Thursday, December 7th, 2017.  Upon entering the library, teachers were presented with library resource folders (complete with candy!).  The front of the folder displayed an infographic by Tiffany Whitehead, librarian extraordinaire, which outlined different ways that teachers could collaborate with a school librarian.  Inside the packet were database/streaming video service passwords, as well as MLA 8th edition citation guidelines.

Staff members were encouraged to take a library resource packet.

Each resource packet displayed Tiffany Whitehead's infographic about library collaboration.

Another prominent display that greeted Book Bistro attendees was the display of new books.  Although there hasn't been a large order placed yet, there have been some new titles added to the library.  Many of the titles purchased were student or staff recommendations.

Iroquois Middle's new books for December 2017.

Due to the generosity of Sue Bartle, the Erie 2 BOCES School Library System Director, and many other individuals, there were dozens of raffle items available for staff members to win.  Many of the raffle items included autographed books!

A selection of raffle items.

Games and activity sets were popular raffle items.

Autographed books are always a hit!

There were dozens of raffle items for Book Bistro attendees.

Speaking of Sue Bartle, she brought a fun "make and take" craft for staff members attending the Book Bistro.  Inspired by the holiday season, the completed craft contained the saying "you can't spell gingerbread without READ!"  These crafts were eagerly picked up by teachers who would later share the crafts with their students.

Fun "make and take" crafts from Sue Bartle.

"You can't spell gingerbread without READ!"

Another big draw for the Book Bistro was a chance to get started on some holiday shopping.  An area of the library was set up with wares from Iroquois teachers as well as local vendors.  This was a great way to shop local for the holidays.

There were fun gifts available for purchase at the Book Bistro.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the delicious food that was brought in by the Iroquois Middle School staff members.  I wish I had a picture of the food, but it was GONE!  It's possible that I ate my weight in chicken wing dip during the Book Bistro, but that's a story for another day.

Thank you to everyone (especially Sue Bartle) that helped to make the Book Bistro a great event.  If you're looking for a fun way to relax, get to know other staff members, and promote librarian/teacher collaboration, I highly suggest holding an event like this!  It made for a fun and memorable day.