SLMS Interview

Interviewee: Kelly Fischer, Library Media Specialist at Dixie Magnet Elementary

o How can the library help me to be a better teacher? The library is full of resources that many teachers unfortunately aren't always aware of.  The professional development section is full of resources for different units, and others are available for purchase at your request!  The library is no longer just a place for books!  Books are just the beginning of an inquiry based project.

o   How can you help me teach? The sky is the limit.  I'm excited that we will be moving to a flexible schedule this year.  I am at your disposal.  I would love to plan with you, to look at your goals and see how we can work together to plan, design, teach and assess any lesson!!!

o   What resources can I use in my units this yearWe have over 10,000 books in print and a lab of 30 computers at your disposal!  I can create, or help you create Webquests or other engaging models for your students. 

o   What book sets would you recommend that I use this year? I recommend Literature Circles.  Students need to be placed in homogeneous groups and choose high interest and appropriate literature to read and discuss.  We have over 50 sets of 8-10 books in the AV room.  I can resend a list including the summary, Lexile level, and quantities to you.  I also recommend you look through the electronic ebooks to be used on the ipads/ipods.  I can also order anything you need, if it meets our curriculum standards and budget.  

o   What kinds of collaboration do you suggest we could do this year? Let's begin with the Big3 or Big6 skills.  I would love to start the students off from day 1.  We can take any broad topic or narrow skill and begin implementing the inquiry based model.  

o   Talk to me about the policies and procedures of the library.  Is there a manual?  What do you do when a parent/teacher/principal challenges a book?  Is there a form or a policy to follow? There is a manual and it is adopted by our district, as well as our school.  I can send you a link as it's quite lengthy.  It discusses our selection policy and how I handle the process of selecting high interest and relevant, curriculum supportive materials.  If a book is challenged, I ask (in accordance with the policy) that the concerned party completes the consideration form.  It asks them to read the entire work and comment on specifics as to why there is a concern. The book stays in circulation, although I would recommend a different book for the child.  A committee, comprised of the LMS, the principal, two teachers and a parent is assembled. They would have the opportunity to read the book as well, and weigh the value of the book against the concern. I would present research about the book using my approved selection materials such as Kirkus Review, Horn Book, School Library Journal, etc.  The policy and process is also lengthy.  Policies and procedures are important from checking out certain numbers of books, to length, to when students may come.  

o   What electronic resources do we have?  Are there any that students can check out?  This coming year, students will have new access to Pebble Go Databases and Brain Hive ebooks.  They will have continued access to KYVL and the many databases through it such as Grolier, Searchasaurus and more!  Tumblebooks is also a resource. 

o   How can you help my students when they come in for independent research?  I am hoping our schedule continues to allow me to work with students using the Big6 inquiry method.  I've worked hard over the past few years to do this with 4th and 5th grade, and hope through collaboration to begin even in K this year.  It's my main goal to teach students to be critical and ethical users of information.  I want them to know a variety of reliable resources to use in their search, including both print and non-print.  I also want them to evaluate multiple resources for the reliability and relevance. It doesn't stop at the research.  Once finding the information they need to know what to do with it, how to organize and create a finished product of communication with an intended audience. Sometimes its through a written report, other times it may include technology such as a podcast or online tool. 

Week 4 Reflection (Traditional)

REOL 536

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears

Aardema, V. (2004). Why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young

Readers.

Summary:  This West African tale explains the chain of events that happened one day in the jungle.  This chain of events, which began with a mosquito lying to an iguana, caused a baby owl to die.  After the owl died, the mother owl would not hoot for the sun to come up, so King Lion had to call the council together to figure out who was at fault.  The story eventually explains why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears. 

Reflection:  This is a great story to use when teaching myths because this is a classic myth in the way that it explains how something (mosquitoes buzzing in people’s ears) came about.  There are many onomatopoeias used throughout the story, such as, “badamin, badamin,” used on page 4 to communicate the sound of the iguana.  The illustrations are brightly colored and the media appears to be cut paper that has been pieced together; I especially like the way the owls look on page 7.  This reminds me of a book that I read with my students called Happy Birthday, Mr. Kang. 

·         Classroom Connection:  This would be a good story for students to recount since the story has a chronological text structure.  Students could draw the events from the story on cards, switch the cards around, and their partner could recount the story by putting the cards in order.  I would also love to see what students will conclude is the central message to this myth.  The third grade common core standard that these activities will meet is:

•  CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

·         Big Questions: Do you think this is the real reason why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears?  If not, why do you think they do that? 

Week 3 Book Reflection: The Giver

Week 3 Book Reflection (Fantasy)

REOL 536

The Giver

Lowry, L. (1993). The giver. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Summary: Jonas has become a twelve this year and he was given a prestigious title.  He will be trained as “the giver” who will receive all of the memories from past generations.  It is an honor to be selected, but he will endure much pain and alienation as he is trained to assume the role.  With the knowledge he receives, Jonas begins to understand the control the government has over the citizens as they make everyone comfortable at all times.  He knows something must be done, but what can he do to stop the injustice?

Reflection: The genre of this book is modern fantasy, characterized by supernatural events, a futuristic setting, and unusual situations.  The setting is America about two hundred years in the future.  The story is unique and touches on political and ethical issues without being forthcoming about them.  The vivid descriptions of the memories that Jonas receives are powerful. 

Classroom Connection:  This is a great book to use when teaching imagery or character.  Jonas is a thoughtful boy, which is evidenced by the way he takes all of the memories from the Giver and thinks through how they affect the people in his life.  His actions are motivated by events from the story, so it relates well to the following standard:

·         Common Core Standard RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events

I would ask my students to make a Jonas trading card.  On one side, they will draw a picture of him from one of the events in the story.  On the other side, they will give some basic information about him and then explain his motivation for his actions. 

Big Questions:  Which of the memories that Jonas received was your favorite?  Why? 

Would you accept the role of “the giver” if it was assigned to you?

Week 2 Booktalk

REOL 536

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

  Stead, P. (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press.

Have you ever been sick?  Did you have to stay home?  That is what happened to Amos McGee in the book, A Sick Day for Amos McGee.  In this fantasy picture book, Amos went to visit his friends, Elephant, Tortoise, Penguin, and Owl, at the zoo every day.  One day, he woke up sick and was not able to go to the zoo.  What do you think happened?  Read Philip Stead’s book, A Sick Day for Amos McGee, to find out!

Week 2 Book Reflection

REOL 536

Jumanji

Van Allsburg, C. (1981). Jumanji. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

I had never read this popular picture book by Chris Van Allsburg and I was delighted by the story. 

Summary:  Two bored children were looking for some entertainment after their parents left them home alone for the afternoon.  The children found a board game in the park with a warning note attached.  They ignored the warning and took the game home anyway.  As they began to play the game, wild animals and natural disasters began to appear inside their house!  Their house was being destroyed and they were in danger, but they had to keep playing because the game would not end until someone won.

Reflection:  The illustrations are realistic and, even though they are black and white, they are truly works of art; I can understand why this book is a Caldecott Award winner.  The genre of this book is fantasy because it could not happen in real life.  The plot is unique and creative with a very pleasant ending.  The characters are given a lot of depth because there are only two main characters; even though the events in the story are unrealistic, the children are very believable. 

 Classroom Connection:  This book could be used in first through fifth grade classrooms.  It would be easy to tie this book into a math lesson.  For example, game boards and spinners tie in well with fractions. Students could use fractions to determine their probability of landing on a certain spot on the game board.  They could compare fractions on spinners to determine which color they are most likely to land on when it is their turn.  This fits into the Common Core standards for third grade.   

·         Common Core Standard 3.NF.1:  Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b.

·         Common Core Standard 3.NF.3d:  Compare two fractions with the same numerator or the same denominator by reasoning about their size. Recognize that comparisons are valid only when the two fractions refer to the same whole. Record the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, or <, and justify the conclusions, e.g., by using a visual fraction model.

 Big Question:  If you found a game in the park with a warning label on it, would you take it home?  Why or why not? 

Introduction

Hello!  My name is Rachel Creager.  This is my second year teaching 3rd grade at Dixie Magnet Elementary in Lexington, KY.  I LOVE working with third graders; it's the perfect age, in my opinion.  Reading is my favorite subject to teach and my third graders are usually just getting into chapter books, so it's a fun time for everybody.  I got married last summer to my wonderful husband, Patrick.  We have a black lab mix puppy named Zoey.  In my sparse spare time, I enjoy baking, reading, and running.  I'm looking forward to taking this course!