Library Lessons and End of Term.

Year 7 Library Lessons are now over and I hope the classes learnt some skills that will help them with their research. I am noticing lots of Year 7s using the Dewey decimal chart to help them find information

They have spent some time learning how to use Boolean Operators to refine their web search, how to take notes and how to evaluate the Web sites that they find. 

I think the highlight of the note taking class was learning how to turn one piece of A4 paper into an 8 page notebook!

Boolean Searching is a big part of being able to easily find information on the Web as it helps to refine the search down to just what is needed rather than having millions and millions of sites to look through. If they remember nothing else, hopefully they will remember how to do this.

The fun part of this lesson was the Research Frenzy game where the class was in teams competing to see who could answer the most questions in a set time. Each team started with either books or computers and then swapped over halfway through so they could try both methods.  At the end of the lesson, the jury was out as to whether computers or books were better - I think it came down to how well they could use the encyclopedias as to which they preferred.

We also had a few teams trying to break the record set by last years class in this activity.  Whilst they didn't manage to set their own record, they did draw equal with last year's group, so well done.

With the end of term approaching, enjoy a relaxing break - and make sure you find the time to kick back with a good book and READ.  What better way to spend your break?

Bibliographies and Year 7s

Well there you go.  A lesson I was dreading turned out to be an awesome class!  Bibliographies and two Year 7 classes.  Who would'a thunk it?? 

Thank you Miss Rogan and Miss Toscano - and thank you for letting me steal some of your ideas. 

And THANK YOU Year 7s for getting so involved with the Dewy Decimal System and Bibliographies.  What a fantastic class!

Looking forward to working with you all again.

Speechless and QR Codes

Library Lessons for the Year 7s have started and will be running for the next few weeks.  This week was all about where to find things in our Library - and a QR code Hunt using the ipads.  The class really seemed to get into the idea of a 'treasure' hunt using iPads and scaning the bright yellow and black little squares that had been stuck up all around the area. 
This idea is one that would work for most subjects, I think and is very easy to put together with all the free on-line sites for generating QR codes - and can be anything from text to URLs.


New title in the Library this week:

‘Speechless’    -    Genre:  Issues

"Saying she’s sorry isn’t enough.  Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can’t keep a secret – until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast – and nearly got someone killed.
Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence – to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting everyone else.  And if she thinks that keeping secrets is hard, she has no idea how hard not speaking up when she is ignored, ridiculed or even attacked is going to be.
However, there is strength in silence and new friends coming her way. A boy she may even fall for.  If only her new friends can forgive what she has done........if only she can forgive herself."

 Well worth a read - after all communication is a huge part of our lives and talking involves at least a good half of it.

 

The School Swimming Carnival is on tomorrow, so good luck to all. 
GO STUART!!

Have a wonderful weekend - week 6 next week so almost halfway through the term.

 

 

Year 7s and Speed Dating with Books

Last week of Library Lessons for Year 7s - and today was Speed Dating with books.

We covered all the tables with a huge selection of books.  This included Fiction across all genres, and a wide range of Non-Fiction.  There were also a number of Picture Books and Graphic Novels for our lower literacy students.

The class was handed a sheet to be filled in with the title of the book, the author and then a rating.  Truly, Madly, Deeply if you REALLY wanted to read this book, Maybe Another Night Darling if it was okay and Sorry, not my type if it didn't interest you.

They had about 3-4 mins to grab a book, check out the cover and read the blurb and then scan a few pages - and make a decision.  Then they moved to another table and another book and continued on. 

At the end of an hour most of them had rated around 20 books and there were lots of comments about the different stories, genres and some of the non-fiction materials. 

A few students wanted to know why we had 'true' stories in the fiction area instead of the non-fiction, so we explained that it was a fiction story based on something that had really happened - so it wasn't ALL true, just some of it.

One little cherub asked 'So how do you tell then Miss - just make a clever guess?' He looked a little shaken when we told him we read them.  'What, ALL of them?' 'Yes' 'Ahh never mind, Miss - bet they have to pay you REAL good for that' 
You have to love Year 7s.

Carrie and I have enjoyed our lessons with the Year 7s and hopefully they will remember some of the basics.  At the very least, we hope to see lots of them in here borrowing books, reading magazines and hanging out.

School Holidays and Stocktake.

Well, we are on school holidays for the next four weeks - actually 3 now as we have spent the first week of the break stocktaking the collection.  This includes everything in the Library, the storeroom and the Bookroom in F block.  (And I just realised we forgot all the resources in Science!) Looks like we are back on Monday to finish the job. 

The job has also meant lots of cleaning, reorganising and some new ideas for displaying said resources.  Everything feels fresher and more inviting, and hopefully the staff and students will feel the same way.

Next task on the agenda is to get the Library and Literacy lessons ready to go for the Year 7s.  We have been updating the program and trying to make it more technology based.  I have been taking part in the Web 2 course provided by Syba Signs so we have lots of new ideas to play around with.  We are looking forward to trying them out with the students.

Hope everyone is enjoying their break.  See you all again in 3 weeks time.