Tag: library

3-6, 6-12, Creative Thinking, Education, Fun Friday, Motivation, Student Products, Teaching Tools

You Have Failed Me for the Last Time!

Terri Eichholz

Two librarians in our district had me laughing so hard this week that grumpy cat would have spontaneously combusted if he was within hearing distance.

The librarians assigned their students to create memes for the library.  The results were so clever that I asked to share them for this week’s Phun Phriday post.

Student Created Library Meme courtesy of Sara Romine
Student Created Library Meme courtesy of Sara Romine

Sara Romine, otherwise known as @laffinglibrary, did a fabulous job explaining the whole process and giving examples in her most recent blog post.  My favorite library meme from her school is the last one; I’m pretty sure I look like that whenever I enjoy a good book!

Wendy Howk, @whowk, had her students add their memes to a Google Slides presentation.  Here is a link to the “highlights.” This is one of my favorites:

Student Created Library Meme via Wendy Howk

For more ideas on using memes, check out this post.

Computer Science, Creative Thinking, Education, K-12, Music, Student Products, Teaching Tools

Yes, They Have No Bananas

Terri Eichholz

One pretty standard piece of inventory in a Maker Space seems to be a product called MaKey MaKey.  I posted about the MaKey MaKey and its potential for creativity in April of this year.  If you ever see one demonstrated, chances are that someone will be using it to play a banana piano, or a Play-Doh piano, or even a human piano.  But there are far more uses than just as a piano.

I ran across this Flickr album posted by Josh Burker (@JoshBurker) that pretty much shows every instrument in the orchestra integrated with MaKey MaKey.  Josh had the opportunity to be the “Maker in Residence” for the Westport, Connecticut Public Library for a month this summer.  As you can see from his Flickr album and this video, you can do a lot with cardboard, conductive tape, MaKey MaKey, and Scratch – especially if you are a kid with an endless imagination and a bit of adult guidance.

My absolute favorite piece is the bird.  You will find a video on the 2nd page that details the creation of the bird and its numerous amazing abilities. The 11-year-old girl who came up with this brilliant device is as articulate as she is innovative.

I am really inspired to challenge my students to find a unique way to use the MaKey MaKey when we do this year’s Global Cardboard Challenge.  Since we only have one for our classroom, I plan to have a contest and whoever proposes the best idea will get to use it for their game.  Josh Burker’s collection of images will help the students to see the amazing potential of this tool.

image from: Josh Burker on Flickr
image from: Josh Burker on Flickr
Books, Education, Independent Study, K-5, Language Arts, QR Codes, Reading, Student Products, Websites, Writing

Students Review Books

Terri Eichholz

Students Review Books is an interesting concept that combines student book reviews with QR codes.  The site accepts reviews from any elementary school student, but has certain parameters for contributing, which are listed here.  Parents must give permission for the reviews to be posted, and a form for this is included on the site.  It would be fun for your students to access this site to view the book reviews, and to make some of their own (even if they are not officially submitted). Another idea is for librarians to use the QR codes provided to place on library books or posters so that students can hear about the books before checking them out.  And, for the advanced students, creating their own book reviews for the site would be a great project.

Creative Thinking, Education, Games, K-12, Language Arts, Motivation, Reading

Speed Booking

Terri Eichholz

Ever heard of Speed Dating?  The concept is to meet with a person for a few minutes, chat, and then move on to another person.  The short discussion with the potential date allows each participant to determine if he or she thinks it is worth pursuing the relationship any further.

The other day, I saw a variation on this idea that, believe it or not, is perfect for education.  It is called Speed Booking, and the students are given the opportunity to learn a little about a group of books so they can decide which ones pique their interest.  If this post piques your interest, check out the details at iLearn Technology!

Critical Thinking, Independent Study, K-5, Reading, Research, Teaching Tools

The Centered School Library

Terri Eichholz

If you are a librarian, or know a librarian who needs a Christmas gift, you should definitely “check this out!” This book, written by our very own school librarian at Fox Run, Cari Young, is a great resource for anyone who is interested in creating a library that is truly an inviting place to learn.  The Centered School Library includes ideas for twelve learning centers that incorporate library skills and are guaranteed to engage your K-5 students!