4th Quarter Library Report

Lots! I am very pleased to say that much of my scope & sequence, vertically aligned information & literacy skills curriculum was able to be seamlessly converted to online learning platforms through Google Classroom. This is not to say that the experience was the same as it would have been in a traditional class setting, but given the circumstances, I am proud of the work my 400+ students did for me from home. And I might even argue that there were actually some "silver linings" to be found from this unprecendented experience: For one, some of my 5th graders have absolutely amazed me with their NoodleTools work since the school closure. Remote learning has forced them to work much more independently than they would from school, where they can so easily come to me or a classmate for help. This extra independence has caused many of my students to become far more proficient with a deeper understanding than they might have attained if doing the same assignments at school in a very condensed 43 minute block shared with book exchange and riddled with social distractions. Similarly, across all grade levels, I have been so impressed with the high quality of work submitted. The flip-side, of course, are those students who have unfortunately not participated in the assignments despite my best efforts to involve families and offer extra help. Sadly, if we were in school, I would have had many more opportunities to engage with those students, and for that, I am most sad.

Please check out my Remote Teaching Log to see a snapshot of what my days looked like teaching from home. Most days included several online meetings with my four 5th & 6th grade Book Clubs, 1:1 student meetings, dozens of email communications, work done in Google Classroom both posting and grading assignments, and so much more!

After completing our author study of Dr. Seuss in March, Kindergarten spent April exploring each of the 5 modules in our fantastic PreK-2 database, Pebble Go! They did activities centered around Biographies, Social Studies, Science, Animals, & Dinosaurs. In May, we studied local author, Matt McElligott, which was perfect timing for the release of his brand new book, Don't Eat the Game! Each assignment featured videos of Matt being silly and a read aloud of one of his books, followed by an extension assignment. We ended the year by studying the life and works of Eric Carle, who we compared & contrasted to our first author of the year, Lois Ehlert. It was a BUSY 4th quarter!

First graders learned all about the Caldecott Award, as we "virtually read" a variety of winning titles, examining the illustrations and how they enhance, or even tell, the stories. There was even a "unit within the unit" as we spent 4 weeks looking just at the books of 7-time winner, David Wiesner!

Second grade spent the 4th quarter first learning about fables, and then writing their own. We focused on Aesop's Fables as students practiced identifying morals and the human characteristics of the animal characters. Then they took what they learned and created their own fable. I would like to collect their fables and create a class book to circulate in the Library when school resumes.

Third grade wrapped up Fairy Tales and went on to study Tall Tales in the 4th quarter. Students completed graphic organizers for each story to help them compare and contrast the literary elements for each subgenre of Folklore. For Fairy Tales, students then completed a Venn Diagram and wrote a compare & contrast essay. For Tall Tales, students ended the unit by writing their own Tall Tale featuring lots of creative exaggerations and explanations!

Fourth grade completed two units in the 4th quarter: Online Reference Resources and Genres of Literature. Students especially enjoyed the activity for online atlases where I guided them through some of the coolest features of Google Maps!

As I said in my opening comments, I am beyond proud of the independent work this 5th grade class has done via remote learning. I had just wrapped up our NoodleTools instruction & practice before March 17th, so thankfully they had that content so they could do their first major Library research project remotely with the assistance of a series of screencast videos I made for each assignment. Students chose topics that represent American culture and then researched: Where did it come from, who brought it to America, when did it get here, and what is its impact on America today? They housed all their citations and notecards in NoodleTools, including citations & notecards for at least one historical image. Then they took their research and created a GoogleSlide presentation. They did an outstanding job!!

After students culminated their Modern Marvel project by completing peer and self evaluations, they worked on a Book Talk Project that required them to select a book to "Book Talk" for their classmates to inspire summer reading. Students provided "enticing hints" rather than book summaries, and then combined the hints with images to create a Book Talk infographic that I could then combine into one large slideshow of suggested reading! Again, each assignment was accompanied by both written directions and a screencast video to ensure expectations were made clear. They did a great job!

My 8th graders spent the first portion of the 4th quarter wrapping up their Compare & Contrast High Schools research project, where they examined the 5 area high schools GD students can choose from. In their final reflections on this project, most noted how valuable it was to learn more about each school. Their final project was called, "Solving Problems" and involved the students selecting topics and researching background information and possible solutions for Personal Problems and then School Problems. I am proud to say that each of my 8th graders has grown so much during the course of this year, and I know they will rock any research assignments they may have in the future!

Here are just 24 of the books my amazing readers read with me this year! I am so proud that we can offer this invaluable enrichment opportunity to our students. The kids and their families absolutely LOVE it - as do it!

Not even quarantine could hinder my quest to seek out more PD! I took part in many of the Librarian "Daily Chats" organized by Questar's Kerrie Burch, as well as a few of the Regional Library Meetings that included three area BOCES groups along with with "special guests", Barbara Stripling and Jen Cannell.

I also attended a virtual Questar Library Council Meeting and the last Questar Communication Coordinators Meeting, also held virtually.

A couple weeks ago I participated in the full day School Library Journal "Day of Dialog" that brought together hundreds of librarians from across the country. We had virtual exhibitors halls, keynote sessions, and workshops throughout the day. A highlight for me was chatting with the incredible children's authors, Jon Scieszka, Laurie Halse Andersen, Joe Bruchac, and Gennifer Choldenko!

Although I do enjoy the ease and convenience of virtual meetings, here's hoping we're back to "in person" meetings and workshops in the Fall! I miss human contact!

Email: lfecura@wynantskillufsd.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/wynantskillufsd.org/lfecura/home
Location: 25 East Avenue, Troy, NY, USA
Phone: (518)283-4600