Lesson Idea Wishlist for the SALE

on Mon/Tues.

Click above for the link from Michelle at Teach 123. Seems like it could be fun and easily adapted/differentiated for different topics and students. I liked to start with something instead of from scratch. Leaves more time to read. ;)

Debating this is from Addie Williams. DO YOUR BEST. Makes me sad when kids are "OK" with a half-hearted effort. Our school started out the year with a baseball-themed effort scale but … it didn't take off. Would pizza work better? ;)

Silly to add this because I already have a K-2 set of blank interactive notebook templates. And a set of 3-5. And while I've used both I haven't used them A LOT (if the teacher does notebooks in the classroom the kids "get it" and it's an effective activity in the library … but for classes that have never done that sort of thing before? Less effective). But these look good, too.. especially for research lessons. By Shelly Gray.

I got one set during … the B2S sale, I think. Haven't been able to use them yet but they sure look fun and a Teacher Librarian can always hope, right? That some teacher will let me try them with the kiddos? This is by the Smart Chick.

And then of course there's the clip art. Kari Bolt, Krista Wallden, Educasong, Melonheadz, Pink Cat Studio … you name something they've done and I pretty much want it. Which is kind of silly.

What about you? Anything you are looking at? Or that you've used successfully? I want the next couple weeks to be good for kiddos in the library … and my own sanity in learning the new commute and organizing stuff from boxes and storage units into the new space. While still being able to read, get some holiday shopping in, and getting back in shape. And the builder finishing up some things.

What are the chances? :P

I've always been super realistic.

(Almost) Finally Friday Nov. 29

Happy Thanksgiving!



I'm realizing that my collection of t-shirts might have got me nominated for WNTW. If they still had that show. But … Levar! And RR!



Yoda. Wise, he was.




AMEN!



Kind of fun. There was another Etsy artist that used to have one for posting books read and library due dates. Haven't been able to find it the last year or two.



Ooh! I like the one in the suitcase with the cards hanging on it.




So that whole 50 School Library Blogs thing. I don't quite know what to think of that. Some say "DON'T LINK BACK" to online college sites like that cause they prey on unsuspecting students. But still. How'd they even find me? Received three offers this week alone of people wanting me to pay them to help with search engine optimization and adding the right keywords to my posts. I know I'm not great at that cause it takes a fair amount of Google work to find me under anything other than "Ms. O Reads Books." Thank you to all of you who found me! Anyway. Tomorrow I'll post some of my TPT sale wish listed items. I can't get all of them … impending home occupation means I have to be more realistic. And wish me luck tomorrow. I HATE BLACK FRIDAY SALES and if it was anything other than a couch and chair I wouldn't bother. $5-$10 off? Not worth it. A couple hundred? Sigh. Guess I have to fight that fight. Can put that money toward the delivery and some charitable causes.
Been too long since I moved. I'm sort of freaking out about it. Also because we didn't pass the inspection yesterday so the builder only has Friday/Saturday/Monday to fix things cause we have to close by Wednesday or we have to get a different loan that's a full percentage and a half higher. :/
Tough problem to have, right? A pretty new house?

#IMWAYR Nov. 25 & Felt Board App

ONE MONTH, people. One month.

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.





This Week

I sense a pattern. Picture books and zombies. I didn't really care for Dead City. At least until the very very end. Hard cause its on our state reading list for next year.

Pete. I liked the ones with Eric Litwin better. I wonder … is this illustrator being pressured to crank out art as fast as possible (and therefore accounting for the fall in quality? Although Magic Sunglasses wasn't TERRIBLE) or is he doing it of his own accord? Or am I the only one who feels like the market's getting a little over saturated?

On a side note we used the Felt Board App after reading Pete. The last line says "What are you thankful for?" so that's what we showed. It was the first time using the app so there was a bit of a learning curve … but the kids were quick! They enjoyed it a lot. As they get more practice we'll be able to dig deeper … make more refined pics that tell a specific story (you can export the jpgs very easily … then make maybe an iBook with the kids recording the story?). Hope we can do something awesome later. BE AMAZED. I remembered to take pics.

Currently Reading (I will finish Allegiant today. What to focus on next what with the packing and cleaning and moving ...)

I DID, however, find my phone cord so I can move some of HP#1 over. Though I also moved over Christmas music so this time of year I'm not sure which will win.

Happy Thanksgiving! I don't always act like I'm thankful, whining about no walls or commutes or what have you. I am, though. For a wonderful family. Beliefs that keep me going and help me understand my purpose, even when I falter a little bit. A job that (most of the time :/) I love. A safe and warm place to live and food to eat. Great books to read and internet friends who teach me all the time and think every once in a while I have something worthwhile to share.

Lots of people don't have that. Happy Thanksgiving! I'll be back on Finally Friday with Five Pins and then on Saturday with my TPT sale "wish list" of lesson ideas I might rather buy and tweak than have to make up myself. :P Any other blog time before then will be concentrating on planning upcoming stuff. And maybe seeing Thor. Or Catching Fire. And cleaning out my closets. You think you've done it and yet the clutter multiplies ...

Finally Friday Nov. 22 … THANKSGIVING BREAK

Are you almost on break? Are you? I AM!!! Even though I will spend it cleaning and packing. :P Click through if you're in Bloglovin or Feedly.

I tell myself "But it's for the house." It's still a little selfish.



Yummy! I think. Haven't tried it yet. But I want to.



Good quote.




Want to try this app. Got it while it was free a while back.




Love this. Though as mentioned … that's a lot of books to "hold." Wouldn't be quite so pretty with old weeded titles.



Several bags, have I. Too many? I think not.

Makerspace Kickoff Recap … StopMotion Animation for the Win

Well. Live on adrenaline, that's for sure.
Pro: Kids had SO MUCH FUN. The Lego Stopmotion Animation was by far the huge favorite. Huge. Like no one bothered with anything else. Found some budding Spielbergs in unexpected places. The power of digital storytelling. It's a free app!

Con: The volunteers were late and then only stayed 45 minutes when the original proposal was for 2 hours. 30 minutes isn't a long time to really get started with any one group.

So here's a clip. No, it's not perfect (and my editing to blur out their names is not great) … but for the quick like 45 second tutorial and 20 minutes to work they got? SERIOUSLY awesome.

Looking Ahead: Coordinating with teachers for the time both in the library and planning their "stop motion stories" in class. Right now we have animals … once the grant $ comes in we'll have some community helper ones as well. With more time to refine both the "story" and the filming (can we say "frame your shot to get rid of all the extra stuff?") I think they could do amazing things! Just coordinating the time. I also want kids to be able to experience some of the other things a mini-makerspace (or call them library centers if you like) could offer … simple bookmarks, some puzzles, etc. Just figuring out how to make it WORK IN OUR SPACE. Can't leave everything out all the time or it disappears. Can't remember to get everything out all the time because hello, three million things already to remember and no consistent help to delegate.

On a side note … we got a moving date. New place with wall of bookshelves the week after Thanksgiving. FINALLY! On another total side note … dumb blog stats. THANK YOU to readers. I know you're out there. Dumb web spoofers are a pain. I don't get spam comments but I get fake page hits. which is a bummer. Liked it better when I didn't know they were fake! But oh my word. The trouble I had when I got my domain name the less than simple way and had to move it? Ugh. Moving to Wordpress? I full on admit it here. BEYOND ME.

#IMWAYR Nov. 18

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts and Unleashing Readers.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.





This Week

Prodigy was my favorite, then Brotherhood. Even though Brotherhood was hard to read.

Currently

(So far I like Allegiant a lot more than Dead City. Which is on our state list for next year. :P)
And already checked out but not started? All My Noble Dreams and Firestorm.


Coming Up
It's like a sickness. I am on the waiting list for So. Many. Books. And I'm moving. Like I can sit down and go through the big ol' stack that has come in. I need to go postpone them. I do. But already waiting for me on the hold shelf ...

and already in transit is Counting by 7s, Blackout (Robison Wells), and The Ward (Jordana Frankel).

So we'll see! Some audiobooks now … need to get back to listening to HP #1 (got behind 'cause my phone is full so I can't add it … need to clear out some old files) and then get in another one.

(almost) Finally Friday Nov. 15 & Makerspace Kickoff Plans

Well, friends, how was your week? I got sick again the last couple of days. AGAIN. Even had to miss school this morning. I'd try essential oils but Cedar X didn't help things so I don't know whether it's worth the $ or not. In Survival Mode until January when I can get to a real allergist and don't have to deal with a not-helpful PCP anymore. Never mind the news that posted "early cedar season" today. And that it might not even be allergies. Just a stupid immune system. :P :(

Funny. At least a little bit even through feeling yucky.



Haven't tried this yet but when my stomach doesn't hate me … I WANT TO.



STILL MAD AT GOOGLE FOR THE LOSS OF GOOGLE READER AND IGOOGLE. But … c'est la vie cause I'm an Apple girl, too. THe two will play together.



Love it! May be using it with my intervention group.







Tomorrow is our Makerspace Kickoff. Starting small but I hope we can keep it up. Always going to be an issue of "where do we keep it?" I have a Sterilite thing on wheels that I might bring to school. Once we get into the new house (AND NO, NOT YET … builder is dragging his heels :X) I might want something prettier for my office anyway. ;) Something on wheels at least we could bring behind the circ desk where it's not so visible after hours.
For our small kickoff we will have three classes coming … a first grade, third grade, and fourth grade. They will be visiting for 30 minutes to explore along with the Kohl's volunteers. Kohl's is giving us a mini-grant to purchase some Little Bits kits in January. For now we're getting some things that have been in the closet for a while or have not been used in this way before.
1st Grade: puzzles. Simple puzzles. I know they're not EXACTLY making but good brain exercise at creating order out of chaos. A couple Discovery bottles. Some wild animal Duplos and the very beginnings of stop motion videography. 3rd Grade: they'v been studying climates so they'll use the animal Duplos as well but hopefully get further into a stop motion clip. They won't have long but they'll get the idea. 4th Grade: this class has never tried the Sock Puppet app. Hope to get at least one or two usable book talk clips out of it. Then if they want to try stop motion they can as well. Or some more advanced puzzles. Debating duct tape bookmarks.


I'm looking back over this and realizing our Makerspace is really just some different centers (looking at three particular ladies). I've never been able to get them going but maybe with a "name" people will participate more. And I'll be better at getting them out. Egads, the number of things I have to get out and put away in a day. Had a cart of special books (pop ups, Where's Waldo poster book, etc) that we used to leave out. Put it away just last week because even with a picture that showed "please put books back spine out like the regular library shelves" (not asking in any order … just NEAT) … we were constantly having to clean up messes with everything every direction and all over the library. So who knows if this will work. Wish us luck?