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.
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| Canva was utilized to make the recommendation slideshow. |
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!
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| November 2020 Monthly Report |
