Genre Kahoot

When our students used the iPads during their testing session, I promised that we would play Kahoot together on their next library visit. The list of great things about Kahoot keeps expanding each time I get the opportunity to use it and/or see it in action. For this visit, I found a game that included genres since this is something we are working on as a part of our goal to have the students find books of choice independently. I was able to easily and quickly modify the game to suit our students' needs (and I think I would fine tune it even more in the future--and probably eventually write my own version--having had the chance to see how students reacted to the questions).

A question as it appears on the screen

The answer screen as it appears following the question

My laptop screen at the beginning of the game

The answer grid on the students' screens

The iPad screen once a student has selected an answer choice

The leaderboard--the kids loved this part as they seemed to enjoy the competitive nature of the game

 Once the students received the iPads and logged into Kahoot, the game progressed quickly. I liked how it was interactive and all of the students were engaged during the entire game. Even when a student got a question wrong, he/she knew that the next question was a chance to be redeemed. At the end of the game, I was able to download the results to my Google Drive so I could see which questions each student missed and assess the overall knowledge of the group. Many teachers here use Kahoot as a review game, but I can also see using it as a formative assessment and/or an exit ticket. Our students enjoyed the activity and I plan to continue using the iPads for Kahoot on a regular basis. I also have a teacher piloting Plickers in order to engage his students. What other technology tools have you used to increase student engagement and achievement?

Helping Hands: Working Together for the Best of Our Students

Our students take an assessment called NWEA-MAP three times per year. With our goal group, it was important for us to see if they had made growth from the fall screening until the mid-year point. The sticky part of the process is the some kids always finish quickly while others may need a few class periods to complete the test. After some discussion, my co-teacher and I decided to have the kids who were done come to the library and do their regular checkout and reading rather than stay in the computer lab with their peers. At this point in the year, I plan to have these students every week and have gotten to know them, so it made sense to keep our normal schedule as much as possible and to separate the kids who were done in another location. It was fun to have half of each class to myself.

Two of our students poring over a Guiness Book of World Records

After checking out their books and doing some reading, we decided that they could have some free time on the computers or iPads at the end of the period for doing such a great job on their tests (more on that soon!). When I handed each student at iPad, I had no idea what they might decide to do. One of the things I noticed when we used the iPads for our initial survey in the fall is that they are not very familiar with iPads. Many students did not know how to navigate to the Internet or have much of an idea what they might do with the device if allowed to use it for any school appropriate purpose. Several of the boys immediately asked if I would play Kahoot with them. They have used Kahoot on the iPads for review games in their social studies classes, so that is what many imagine an iPad is for. I had not prepared a game, but told them that we would play Kahoot next week as part of their library visit activities, or, as I actually said, "It's ON!" I'm looking forward to the opportunity to incorporate Kahoot into their library visits as I have witnessed the power of teachers using it for an engagement tool and it was one of our AASL Best Apps in 2015. What sponge activities utilizing technology have worked in your library or classroom?

Musical Chairs: Book Edition

One of my collaborating teachers sent me a link from Pinterest for a musical chairs-like game using books. Since we know kids are more likely to try new and different books if they have a chance to sample them (and see the covers!), it made sense for us to give this a try. The basic idea is that chairs are set up in a circle with books on each seat. Students start at one seat and rotate at preset intervals to each place in the circle. We decided to do smaller circles and have kids rotate to each of four stations (each chair had a different genre--and I included nonfiction in each circle). Calming music was played throughout the activity rather than just for the switch--something my co-teacher has done while her students complete writing assignments, so they are used to the music.

The set-up:

I liked this activity not only because it was easy to set up and manage, but also because there was a huge payoff in terms of how many books ended up being checked out at the conclusion of the final round. Our students seemed to like the change of pace from a regular checkout day and I got to see what books might sell if presented in a different way. I want to keep trying new methods to get books off the shelves and into students' hands so that they can discover gems that might otherwise be shelf-sitters. What ideas have you used to get students to try books that they might not otherwise notice?

In process:

And the winners are . . .

I didn't get nearly as much reading done in 2015 as I have in past years. Mostly because of moving and renovating our new house, I'm guessing. However, I'm still holding out hope that I will have read at least some of the ALA award winners and nominees--and that our libraries will already own most of the titles as I did read many reviews and ordered over 1,000 titles throughout the year. Interested in the winners? Watch live here or visit here after the announcement for a full bibliography.

Help Us Achieve Our All-School Read

Over the past two years, we have created a community of readers, in part, through our all-school read. The first year, everyone read Wonder by RJ Palacio. Even my most reluctant colleagues loved Auggie's story and the impact reading it together has on our students. Last year, we tackled A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. Not only did our students get the opportunity to read the book, they also had guest from our local branch of Lifewater come and teach them about what it is like to live without a well. Kids carried the 5-gallon jugs, traced the path of water in its daily use, and learned about athletes from Activewater who are working to bring wells to under served communities.

This year, I met Wes Moore at the School Library Journal Summit. His young adult book, Discovering Wes Moore, seems like the perfect book for our community this year. The story of both Wes Moores--one a Rhodes scholar and author, one in prison for the rest of his life--will likely resonate with a wide variety of readers. In order to have enough copies of the book, I started a Donors Choose (which was totally funded--yay!) and am also partnering with our local independent bookstore to have copies donated. If you are local, you can stop in at Bookbug of Kalamazoo and donate a copy for $6.29+tax. If you are remote (or just prefer shopping online), Bookbug has provided a link to use for donating a copy (use code MAPLEREADS at checkout to get the discount).

Would you like to share our project with your friends and family? This flyer may be used to advertise our funding efforts. I look forward to sharing the results of this year's endeavor. What books have you used successfully for all-school reads?

It's Getting Heavier

I finished two more titles over the weekend that might see awards in January. Neither made the Heavy Medial shortlist, but one of them came up over and over in the comments and the other was mentioned on the blow and I wanted to have a look at it due to its representation of diverse characters. I will say that both made me cry a few tears and gave me some things to think about.

Apple, an American middle schooler who was born in the Philippines, wants a guitar more than anything else. Her mom says no way and is not willing to budge. The chapter titles all refer to songs which creates a playlist for the book. Apple also tracks "IFs" (interesting facts) about the people around her--she believes each person has three IFs. I love the idea of having students come up with their IFs while reading the book. The trials Apple faces in middle school make Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly a story we can all relate to.

Ada was born with a club foot and has spent her entire life looking out the window of her London flat. When the war threatens, she and her brother Jamie are evacuated to the English countryside where they learn about all the things they have been missing. Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's The War that Saved My Life was a different perspective on World War II than I had read before--and one that made me cry both sad and happy tears.










I have a few more titles from the shortlist to read--most of which I am waiting for from a recent order. Over the long weekend, I'm planning to squeeze in a few of the titles mentioned on the Printz spectulative blog, Someday My Printz Will Come as well, including:

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman (recent winner of the National Book Award)
Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow
Lumberjanes Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson
Zeros by Scott Westerfeld
Untwine by Edwidge Danticat

Just when I think I've read quite a bit for the year, shortlists are presented . . . and I realize how little of the surface I have scratched! What books do you think might end up with medals in January?

More Medal

As I mentioned before, I have been following Heavy Medal's Newbery shortlist and trying to read the titles they selected before the award announcement. The comments on their post have also provided some great suggestions for books that might nab an award come January. I finished two titles this week. I enjoyed both in different ways and would love to see either one honored by the committee.

Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan is five gorgeous stories woven into one: the mythical tale of three orphaned sisters, stories of three children as various points through World War II, and the story of a harmonica that connects them all. At nearly 600 pages, this story drew me and I marked several places where I wanted to read the beautiful words over and over again.

I'm an avid fan of roller derby and anticipated this book from the first review I read. Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson is the story of Astrid as she joins a junior roller derby team. The storyline includes the tough parts of a transition from elementary school to junior high, as well as lessons about friendships. It's cool that Jamieson herself is a roller girl which makes this story more authentic.











Next up are Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly and The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. Both of these escaped the official shortlist, but have been mentioned in the comments or earlier in the blog year. I'm also looking forward to My Seneca Village by Marilyn Nelson which just arrived at our main office after being ordered through on-demand printing. I shared this Curriculum Connection from School Library Journal with the assistants at our other middle schools and I'm hoping teachers will be as excited about this title as we are.