The End of October!

This week in the Media Center for Kindergarten, we will continue to do the Second Step Assessment.  If I have not read "Martha Doesn't Say Sorry"  to your class yet, I will this week!  It was amazing when I read it to the classes last week.  They were spellbound!  Then we had a good discussion on when and why it's important to say sorry. We also practiced saying "It's OK!" when someone says sorry to you! (Martha DOES say sorry in the end!)
Other choices are: Too Many Pumpkins, Library Mouse, or Big Pumpkin (on Wednesday). 
I also have a little book to read with the kids, "What Will I Be?"  I can do this with your class if you would like as an activity.

For PreK this week I bought The Monster at the End of  This Book App for my iPad.  I would love to share it with your classes!  Other choices include: I Went Walking, or The Biggest Pumpkin Ever.

In Technology news, our technology committee is beginning the work on aligning our software to the Common Core Standards.  If you would like to help, you can!  You can contact any of us, to let us know what software you always use, and why.  Our committe is:  Megan Wilson, Nikki Kunde, Laura Bianchi, and myself.  We could really use some help with the Spanish software, any volunteers?
Also Donna has been hard at work getting our building all up to date!  We are very close to having all of the computers where they belong, and in good working order.  Be sure to let me know if you are having any computer problems!  Thanks!

Have a very (Happy Halloween) week!

 

Excitement in the Media Center!

This past weekend I attended the ISLMA conference.  That is, the Illinois School Library Media Association.  It was an amazing experience!  I learned so much and can't wait to do some new great things in the Media Center!  One thing that I am most excited about is, creating a space for Wonder.  It will be a center where kids can wonder about....whatever!  Be looking for this in the coming weeks...

In Technology news, our Dierzen tech committee will be meeting this week to begin to look for and evaluate software, websites, and apps that align to the Common Core Standards.  If you would like to make any suggestions, or would like to help us in this endeavor, let me know!  We will be meeting on Wed. October 23 after school.

For Kindergarten this week the choices are as follows:

1. Martha Never Says Sorry (to go with Second Step)
2. Too Many Pumpkins (life cycle of the pumpkin on the Smartboard)
3. Library Mouse (a mouse that writes books!)
4. The WorryWarts (Ww book)

If you would like any stories that I have done before that you feel your class has missed, just let me know! Thanks!

For PreK I have some choices this week, as I have noticed that some of you are doing different things. So here they are:

1. Barnyard Hullabaloo (farm)
2. A tree is nice (trees)
3. The Monster at the End of this Book (Second Step)

If you would like a different story, please let me know! Also PreK teachers, if you have not yet brought your iPad down to the Media Center, please do so as soon as possible. Thanks! I learned some new ways to keep track of them at the conference too!

 

Thanks for reading my blog and Have a great week!

 

This week in the Media Center

Kindergarten classes this week have many of the same choices.  If you would like me to read something else, please let me know.  The choices are:

1. The WorryWarts -Ww book
2. Rhyming Dust Bunnies-make dust bunnies
3. A Tree is Nice, Website on trees (or not) and class book.
4. Someday a Tree- a book about a family trying to save a tree

In view of the paper shortage, I am trying to come up with paper-less things to do in the Media Center.  I was thinking of using floor puzzles.  If you have any extra puzzles that you don't want, I would love to use them in the Media Center!  Thanks!

PreK classes have 2 choices this week, they are:  Leaf Man or Stuck in the Muck on the Smartboard (I hope it works this week!)

Just a word on technology,  if you are having a problem with your computers, please email me.  This way, I can check on it, then write a work order sooner.  It really helps if you use email because I won't remember if you tell me as I walk by!

Have a great week!

Columbus Day week

Technology news:
Donna, our tech, has been ill, so will not be with us this week.  If you have any computer issues, please let me know.  If I can't fix it, I will put in a work order.  If it is and emergency, I can call technology and someone will come fix it.  We hope Donna will be better SOON!
If you'd like to contact her, a phone call works best, or a card,  Believe it or not, she does not have internet at home!
Projectors:  If you have difficulty with the projector connecting to your laptop, try, pressing Fn F8.  Hold down the "Fn" key and then press F8.  It should first show only on the screen, then if you do it again, it should show on the monitor and the screen.  I have been noticing some problems with our projectors.  If this happens to you, please let me know exactly what happened so I can better fix it.  At the moment the one in the Reading Room won't go on at all!  But we are working on it!

For Kindergarten this week the choices are:
Fall is for Friends,
   Activity:  Leaf Rubbings
A Tree is Nice,
   Activity:  Class book, and Tree Website
Rhyming Dust Bunnies
   Activity:  Make Dust Bunnies
The WorryWarts
   Activity:  Ww work

Also as part of my Professional Growth Plan, I will be working on Research in Kindergarten.  I hope to meet with a different PLC team each month so we can collaborate on what we should research.  I don't want to make this a burden on anyone, so I will work to fit it into your class's program.  Most of what I'll be doing will happen in the Media Center but, there may be some things you will need to do in your classroom as well.  This is a very exciting part of the Common Core Standards!  I am looking forward to working with all of you!

For PreK this week we have 2 choices:
A Fall Book
Yuck! Stuck in the Muck!-on my iPad and the Smartboard.

If you are reading this blog right now, I thank you so much!!  You fill my bucket!

Have a great week!

Busy Week!

This week in the Media Center I will be reading "Fire Fire!" to the Kindergarten children and "Daisy the Fire Cow" to the PreK.  Please let me know if your field trip interferes with your library time!  Also please let me know if you would prefer that I read something else.
For technology this week, I will continue to teach the children about WiggleWorks.  This week we will be trying the writing portion.  Did you know that it can give the children a writing prompt?  We will see what they come up with!
During conferences there will be a Book Fair in the Media Center.  Be sure to come down and browse.  I am sure that you will be able to fill out a wish list for your classroom.  We will be setting it up on Wednesday around 11:15, and then cleaning up on Thursday night around 8:45.  If you could help at either of those times, that would be great!  Thanks!

Fall is here!

Important Information:
I will be out on Monday due to a District 200 Library Media Specialist Meeting.
Linda O'Brien will be out on Friday.

Technology news:
I have set the segments for Jolly Phonics in MediaCast!  This means you need to go to the "Segments" tab below the video.  There you will click on the segment you want.  I have done this for both videos.  I hope this helps!

Having questions about Groupwise?
Come on Tuesday, at 3:20 and I will be in the Media Center to help with signatures, junkmail handling, making groups, and anything else you might have questions about!

Kindergarten teachers:
Please put your students' names into WiggleWorks, and set their levels.  Questions?  Please come and see me!
Also, if you are doing an author study, please let me know!  I can help!  I have a great book about many authors, and many of them have websites.  I would also like to read a book by that author when your class comes to the Media Center.
This week's stories to choose from are:

1. Fall is for Friends
2. Sometimes I Feel Silly! (feelings)
3. Fire, Fire!  by Gail Gibbons (for the Thursday and Friday classes?)
4. Rhyming Dust Bunnies

If these don't go with what you are doing this week, please let me know, and we can work something out!

In PreK,  for the Monday and Tuesday classes, I will read "The Little Engine That Could"  to go with Second Step.  For Thursday classes, I will read "The Firehouse."

Have a Great Week!

What's new this week!

In Technology news:
We have a technology committee that needs one more member.  We are going to be looking at software and websites that meet the Common Core Standards.  We would really like one more Kindergarten teacher to join us on this important endeavor!

Has any one seen a wireless mouse?  It was in the Media Center close to the computers last week, and now it is gone...If you have seen it or know where it is, please let me know!

We have been having many changes to our computers!  Donna has been working hard to get everyone to have what they need!  One thing to always remember is to save all of your work to your home directory!  This way if something goes wrong with your computer and it needs to be reimaged, you will not lose all of your hard work.

Did you know we have a traveling Smartboard?  It is a bit smaller than the one in the Media Center, but it can be brought into your classroom.  I will be happy to set it up and help you get started!
We also have an Ipad available for check-out, as well as overhead projectors!

Kindergarten team choices for this week:  (Please email me the number--I felt it worked well last week!Thanks!)

1. L is for Library (Alphabet)
2. The Letters are Lost (Alphabet)
3. A Hippo Named Fluffy (names)
4. I'm Gonna Like Me! (self-esteem)

PreK team:
I will be reading Mr. Wiggle to those classes who are here for the 2nd time in the Media Center.
For those who are coming for the 3rd time, and from now on, I would really like to know what themes you are working on.  Thanks!

Have a Great Week!