Welcoming Spanish 7 and 8

The first two months of 2020 proved to be a busy time in the Iroquois Middle School Library.  Book checkouts, either from the physical library or from our digital OverDrive collection, remain steady.  There have also been a variety of visits across classrooms and grade levels. 

January 2020 Monthly Report

February 2020 Monthly Report

While it is natural to think that library and ELA/reading would be a natural pairing, other subjects frequent the library as well!  It was exciting to welcome both seventh and eighth grade Spanish classes into the library to kick off 2020.

Seventh Grade Spanish Book Creator Project
Ms. Marcinkowski brought her classes into the library for the second straight year for a project utilizing the Book Creator resource.  Book Creator is an online platform allowing students to create their own polished digital books.  I first learned of Book Creator through the American Association of School Librarians as it was chosen as a 2018 Best Website for Teaching and Learning.

The three day project was set up in a similar fashion to last year's visit led by library student teacher Ms. Allison Ryan.  One major difference between the projects was the subject matter.  This year, Ms. Marcinkowski's students focused on making books related to classroom objects, school supplies, and their likes/dislikes of different school subject areas.

Day one of the project was devoted to organizing project ideas into a storyboard outline.  Students partnered up to work together on figuring out what they would put on the cover and ten pages.  Each page would consist of an illustration, a sentence in Spanish, and a student audio recording of the Spanish sentence.  This storyboard helped ensure that students would have a solid plan before utilizing the Book Creator service.

Storyboard student example.

Students were responsible for ten page digital books.

Each page would include an audio narration in Spanish.

During day two, the classes received a brief overview about how to log in and use Book Creator.  How to add pages, backgrounds, illustrations, text, and audio were discussed in depth.  After the overview, students then got to work creating their digital books.  On day three of the project, students put the finishing touches on their project, including audio narration.

It was great to see a high level of enthusiasm and engagement during this project!  Teams worked efficiently and effectively in order to get their project completed.

Eighth Grade Spanish Green Screen Project

New for this year was a visit from Mrs. Germann and her eighth grade Spanish students.  Mrs. Germann was up for trying something different, so we decided to make use of the recently purchased green screen!  This screen and the accompanying lighting are housed in the library's back room, a perfect place for a student recording studio.

Prior to visiting the library, Mrs. Germann challenged groups of four students to develop a Spanish script pertaining to our school's dress code.  Each student would have at least four lines of dialogue.  Although it wasn't required, many students chose to memorize their scripts.  Other groups relied on note cards or cue cards during recording.

When groups came to the library to record, they were given a short amount of time to rehearse their lines and prepare their props.  Each group also had to decide on a background that would be used in place of their green screen.  We used the image search capabilities in Bing in order to find appropriate backgrounds.  Bing has a filter feature which allows users to search for only the images that are free to share, use, and modify.

Groups then took turns using the backroom of the library to record.  The green screen and the lighting really transformed the library into a professional recording studio!

The bright lights helped to remove shadows from the background.

Each group member had four lines of dialogue.

Some groups asked classmates to hold their cue cards.

Once each group recorded, the green screen background was swapped out with the image found via a Bing search.  On day two in the library, students learned how to use the Microsoft video editor app in order to add a title slide and credits (in Spanish, of course) to their finished project.  Some groups even went the extra mile and added background music to their videos!

On the Friday after the project concluded, Mrs. Germann showed the completed videos for each group that felt comfortable sharing their projects.  Special awards were also given out in a variety of fun categories for groups showing extra degrees of preparation or creativity.

Mrs. Germann was kind enough to bring in an award for me!

Student feedback on this project was varied.  Some students did not like recording themselves, which is totally understandable.  Seeing or hearing yourself on film can be unnerving!  Other students really enjoyed the opportunity to use technology to display their Spanish language knowledge in a creative way.

It's always wonderful to have our Spanish classes visit the library!  We look forward to seeing these classes in again soon.

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.

Sixth Grade Finch Project

Last year, we participated in the robot finch loan program offered through BirdBrain Technologies, the company which manufactures the devices.  The robot finch is a wonderful coding tool that provides students with hands-on coding opportunities.  The students enjoyed these so much that our technology teachers, Mrs. Lambert and Mr. Kwietniewski, decided to buy them for their STREAM program.  This opened up some great opportunities for our library program to collaborate with STREAM.

The robot finch can be controlled with many programming languages.  Our students used Scratch to control the finches.  The finch comes equipped with two wheel motors, LED lights, a temperature sensor, buzzer, and touch sensors.  These capabilities provided students with seemingly endless programming opportunities.  The hands-on nature of the robot finches also made it fun and easy for students to see their programming skills come to life!

After some reflection on last year, we decided that sixth grade would be the grade level that would work most in-depth with the robot finches.  Instead of sticking with just an hour of code in December, Mrs. Lambert's sixth graders visited the library throughout all of December to work with the finches!  Each section enjoyed three full class periods for this project.

Learning how to code with the finches.

On the first day of the finch project, students received a brief introduction to the finches, including how to set up the finch on the student laptops, how to properly care for the finches, and which Scratch coding commands would be useful for their programs.  Students were then instructed to work in groups of 2-3 to complete a finch tutorial.  This packet, adapted from the finch education website, introduced students to finch features and some coding strategies.

Once students had completed the tutorial, they were invited to participate in a challenge of their choosing.  There were four coding challenges the groups could choose from: traffic light, dance party, remote control, and drawbot.  Each of the challenges were adapted from beginner level Scratch lessons found on the finchrobot.com website.  There were a number of groups that were able to tackle multiple challenges during their project time in the library.

Teams spread out in the library to work on their challenges.

DrawBot was a favorite challenge for this year!

Multiple groups participated in the DrawBot challenge.

It's great seeing your program come to life!

Masking tape mazes helped students tackle the remote control challenge.

There's lots of room in the library to spread out!

Overall, we were very pleased by the creativity and effort displayed by the STREAM students.  The robot finch project was a great way to celebrate #hourofcode and get students some hands-on coding time.  When Mrs. Lambert asked her students how they enjoyed their time in the library, many mentioned that they would have liked additional time with their finches!  A special thank you to Mrs. Lambert for making this possible!

Lego League Robotics 2019

On November 23rd, 2019, sixteen students from Iroquois Middle School participated in the regional FIRST Lego League Robotics competition at the Nichols School.  This was the second year that Iroquois took part in Lego League.  Interest in the program is growing, which meant Mrs. Ferger and I (Ms. Muhlbauer) were able to grow the club from one team to two!

There was plenty of planning and preparation leading up to the competition.  We held informational sessions about FLL (FIRST Lego League) during lunches.  Interested students needed to apply by providing a guardian signature and also a paragraph explaining why they want to join the team.  We stressed that FLL isn't a club in the traditional sense; instead, it requires a high level of commitment.  Once the teams were selected, we met for two hour meetings 18 times leading up to the competition.

Another wonderful addition to Lego League this year was the introduction of student mentors.  High school students Analee and Bella, members of our Girls' STEM Leadership Group, were eager to help our Lego League students succeed!  Analee and Bella shared their science and team building expertise with the middle school FLL students.

For those unfamiliar with FLL, it is a three part competition.  The spontaneous "Core Values" section assesses how well team members work together as a group in order to perform a specific task (mainly a team building activity).  Team members must then discuss how the Core Values of Lego League can be applied to school and other settings.  The Core Values of Lego League are as follows:

We are a team.

We do the work to find solutions with guidance from our coaches and mentors.

We know our coaches and mentors don't have all the answers; we learn together.

We honor the spirit of friendly competition.

What we discover is more important than what we win.

We share our experiences with others.

We display Gracious Professionalism^® and Coopertition^® in everything we do.

We have FUN!

- See more at: http://www.firstlegoleague.org/mission/corevalues#sthash.cVFMw5M0.dpuf

We are a team.

We do the work to find solutions with guidance from our coaches and mentors.

We know our coaches and mentors don't have all the answers; we learn together.

We honor the spirit of friendly competition.

What we discover is more important than what we win.

We share our experiences with others.

We display Gracious Professionalism^® and Coopertition^® in everything we do.

We have FUN!

- See more at: http://www.firstlegoleague.org/mission/corevalues#sthash.cVFMw5M0.dpu

We are a team.

We do the work to find solutions with guidance from our coaches and mentors.

We know our coaches and mentors don't have all the answers; we learn together.

We honor the spirit of friendly competition.

What we discover is more important than what we win.

We share our experiences with others.

We display Gracious Professionalism^® and Coopertition^® in everything we do.

We have FUN!

- See more at: http://www.firstlegoleague.org/mission/corevalues#sthash.cVFMw5M0.dpuf

- Discovery: We explore new skills and ideas.
- Innovation: We use creativity and persistence to solve problems.
- Impact: We apply what we learned to improve the world.
- Inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences.
- Teamwork: We are stronger when we work together.

Students practiced Core Values by assembling our competition board.

Following step by step instructions is crucial.

The "Project" section is more of a traditional science project.  Students are given a topic to research first.  This year, the theme was "City Shaper" and teams were challenged to find a way to improve something within their community.  The challenge took on an architectural feel, as teams were urged to explore structures and buildings within their community.  The team shares their innovation with a group of people who can benefit from their research.  They then must create a short presentation to show the judges what they learned through the research process.

The White Team decided to tackle the problem of Iroquois's campus not being bike friendly.  By developing ways to make Iroquois more bike friendly, the environment would be positively impacted and students would receive more exercise.  In addition to performing research online, students also interviewed Mr. Eric Nagel, Iroquois' Transportation Supervisor, and Mr. Clark, an official from the Town of Elma.

The White Team's completed project board.

Members of the White Team share their project with an interested student.

Members of the White Team prior to presenting their project to the judges.

The Red Team identified Elma's lack of a community pool as a problem in our area.  Many of the other surrounding communities have access to a pool, but Elma/Marilla/Wales do not.  Through research and an interview with Mr. Joe Colern from the Town of Elma, students developed a plan to make a community pool that was accessible for community members of all abilities.

The Red Team's completed project board.

Members of the Red Team, just after presenting their project to the judges.

Last but not least is the "Robotics" component.  Students are honing their computer programming skills in order to train a robot to complete missions.  Each mission is worth a predetermined amount of points, so the team that accumulates the most points will win this section of the competition.  This part of the competition requires a lot of trial and error; it is difficult to get the robot's programming just right in order to complete the missions.

Members of the Red Team cheering on their robot.

Preparing for the robot competition.

Members of the White Team prepare for the robot competition.

Setting up the robot required care and precision.

During the competition, it was very exciting when our teams' robots successfully completed missions!  The White Team's robot came in eighth place and the Red Team's robot came in sixth place out of twelve teams.

In between the rigorous competition rounds, our students found ample time to have fun!  The staff at Nichols does an amazing job keeping the entire day exciting, interactive, and upbeat.

Nichols provided a button making station for all attendees.

Students were invited to dance in between each robot round.

The Lockport High School robotics team shared their creations.

The cookies at the concession stand were a huge hit!

Although both teams are to be commended for a successful day, the White Team deserves a special nod for winning the event's Core Values trophy!  This trophy is awarded to the team that displays outstanding teamwork, perseverance, and kindness throughout the competition.  In addition to earning the trophy, students on the White Team were also selected as Model Citizens by the robot judges because they cleaned up their robotics supplies without being asked.  This wonderful behavior is indicative of the amazing students we have at Iroquois!

Members of the White Team with their Core Values trophy.

Although Lego League is over for this year, the team members are keeping their robotics skills sharp by participating in the middle school's Bright Minds Club and Science Challenge.  All sixth and seventh grade students are visiting the library with their STREAM classes in December to compete in various coding activities.

Thank you to the Lego League students and families for another successful year!

Early America Research

During November 2019, the students in Mr. Smerka's seventh grade Social Studies classes spent over a week in the library for a research project.  During this project, groups of 3-4 students researched Early American topics and presented their findings to their classmates.

Student groups chose from topics such as: Northern Colonies, Middle Colonies, Southern Colonies, Sons/Daughters of Liberty, Salem Witch Trials, and The Lost Colony of Roanoke. These topics were very broad and open-ended, meaning that the groups had the flexibility to take their research in many directions.  This made for a challenging task for the groups.  Not only did they have to comb through sources to find relevant and interesting facts, but they also needed to present their information in a way that was organized and engaging.

The first few days of the project were devoted to introducing students to the various resources available for research.  Students spent time using nonfiction and reference books available in the library.  There were close to 150 library books on these topics, so every group found interesting information when browsing the books.  They recorded their research on MLA note sheets, which helped them to stay organized and avoid plagiarism.  Later this year, students will learn how to make MLA formatted works cited pages during an ELA research project.

Note Sheets help students to stay organized during the research process.

Once students exhausted the information found in the books, we moved on to using web resources to gather more facts.  Credible websites were displayed in a Symbaloo organizer found on the middle school library website.  Students were also encouraged to find their own sources through internet searching, but were instructed to evaluate sources for credibility prior to use.  As with the book sources, students filled out MLA note sheets for all of their web resources.

The Symbaloo organizer displayed helpful websites for the project.

MLA note sheets kept the students' research organized.

At the end of the third day of research, the students completed an online "Research Check In" form that was posted on the library website.  This check in allowed Mr. Smerka and I to see if students understood the importance of using reliable sources and if anyone was experiencing issues with the research process.  The data gathered from this was extremely helpful.  Students that might not have been comfortable telling us that they were having problems researching felt comfortable letting us know on the form.  Over the next few days, we were able to provide targeted assistance to those students.

A check in page via Microsoft Forms was distributed to all students.

The groups then worked on PowerPoint slides in order to provide a visual for their presentation.  The majority of these projects were well organized and utilized advanced features such as hyperlinks and transitions.

Students worked on research and PowerPoint presentations while in the library.

Student groups prepared to present to their classmates.

The flexible seating in the library allows students to work in comfort.

The last few days in the library were devoted to presenting the group projects.  Students received a grading rubric prior to presenting, so they had a clear idea of the assessment criteria.  The presentations were wonderful!  Many student groups displayed tremendous creativity (and the groups that brought snacks were much appreciated!).

Mr. Smerka instructs students on effective presentation techniques.

One group made Johnnycakes (a colonial recipe), and even brought in a sub tray!

The sub tray was a wonderful treat the day before the long weekend!

Having Mr. Smerka's students in the library made for a very enjoyable week and a half.  Most importantly, students were able to practice their research, teamwork, and presentation skills.  The seventh grade teams will return to the library for an ELA project in January where they will continue to hone their skills.