Week 15: The Grand Finale

What a semester it has been! But, before getting more into that, let me keep with normal order by first reflecting on this past week. Like the past couple of weeks, this one certainly kept me on my toes. As every educator knows, it was Teacher Appreciation Week.  To show his appreciation (and his art skills), one of my students drew me this as a gift. If you, yourself was never a video game nerd or if you didn't happen to marry one (just throwing it out there), this drawing is in reference to the game Zelda. Apparently, I'm the "Artist of Time". Hey, I didn't think of it myself! Maybe that is what I should make all the kids refer to me as. Hopefully, in the future, this title can expand to also include LMS. "Artist and Librarian of Time". Yes, I'm quite okay with that.

Also this week, we had Spirit Week. Every day was something different. The only one I managed to get a picture of, however, was crazy hair day.

Weak for crazy hair, I know. One of my students did it for me though. 

As much as I love showing my spirit, I felt more like a gummy bear than anything. What was even worse though, was that I overheard one student refer to me as Miley Cyrus. Although there were no wrecking balls in sight, I did not like that comparison one bit! Um... ew.

Besides these two week-long events, was my normal art schedule. This week included SketchUp with 8th grade, paper mache with 7th grade, and ceramics with 6th grade. While I know that I'm an art teacher and art is messy, I am not by nature. After so many days of me and my room being covered in various messy materials and not having the time to get it clean and orderly, I began to feel a little overwhelmed. To add to this feeling, I also continued to hit the wall mural hard. Check out this guy. He's what I've been working on.

However, before looking like this, I had to do a little pre-painting. As pictured below, pre-painting is basically the first layer. It's thin and messy, but done fairly quickly. 

What takes so long is the edging. For instance, this HCS emblem has not yet been edged. See the bumpy lines? That all has to be fixed. It is a very tedious job and is made even more frustrating by the bumpy texture of the wall. Stressful stuff, these murals are! 

But wait! Here's the kicker- I've been painting them all the way down the front hallway outside of the library! So far, I am up to two emblems and eight trojan heads. Now all they need is the font to be chosen, drawn, and painted in blue. Right now, I'm estimating that will take me approximately another five years. In all seriousness though, I was so excited to showcase the final product to you here when completed. Unfortunately, that just wasn't in the cards. At least now though, you are able to see what the big project entailed and the direction it is going. I do think it will be awesome when finished.

In the library, things were pretty much the same this week. Shelving and painting was all I devoted my time to doing. I have to confess, that as mundane as shelving actually is, it felt good to do something I could control. Being such a perfectionist, sometimes I struggle with teaching art (and teaching in general) due to the large amount of control I must let go of. This is not a natural state for me, and after a week of somewhat controlled chaos, I was glad to have a task that was orderly, neat, and also one that accomplishes something. It gave me a chance to stop and breath and daydream for awhile- a little mental vacation. This reflection now brings me to my final thoughts- the real conclusion- of both my practicum experience as well as my time spent in graduate school. 

While I'm sure most people would take this opportunity to talk about how quickly their time in grad school flew by, that they can barely tell where the time has gone, and what a wonderful experience it has been, I simply cannot. As a rule, I am a very honest person. Therefore, I will tell you that this whole experience did not fly by and some of the time, I hated it. Trying to work full time, take care of my students, still be a good friend, daughter, sister, and wife, and take time to do the crazy amount of work- that was extremely difficult! Unlike many of my fellow classmates, I do not have children, and I can only imagine this being ten times more challenging if I did! So to say that this time has flown by and I loved every minute- well, I just can not make such a claim.

However, what I can claim is that I learned a lot. From cataloging to digital citizenship to collaboration, the amount of information gained from this program is sure to prepare me for my future as an LMS. I can also say that while in the program, I did a complete 180 in terms of what I would actually do with my degree upon completing it. When first entering the program, I did not enjoy my classes. I did not understand how they would impact my career, and I felt that some of them merely offered redundant, busy work. As I continued in the program, though, I began to see my future take shape. I finally began connecting the dots and understanding exactly what all of the lessons meant. The practicum experience is what drove this idea home for me. Actually being hands-on in the LMC and putting myself in that role made me realize how badly I wanted this. Lastly, I can say that it has made me think on a much larger scale in terms of educating today's youth. Art is, and will continue to stay, a passion of mine. I still consider it a disservice to students to not offer an Arts program. And quite honestly, I still would enjoy teaching art in the future, if that's what it held. However, after completing this program and participating in these courses, I feel a much larger sense of responsibility to the children I work with. I no longer wish to impact just their creative side, but all of the information they gain while at school. I want to guide them in their quests for knowledge for both projects and life. I want to help mold them into responsible, self-motivated individuals. I want to impact how they view lifelong learning. Being a library media specialist puts me in this position.

Despite the amount of time and work invested, I believe it's true- that whatever is worth attaining and accomplishing does, and should not, come easy. Without the struggle, I would not feel the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that I do now. Although it did not present itself in the way I expected, in the end, I am incredibly grateful for the experience I have had in learning to be an LMS. Here's to the future, which is looking pretty bright.

That? Oh yea, that's one little thing I hadn't announced. This next school year, I will no longer be an art teacher, but a library media specialist in my own community. And there's the happy ending. Thanks for reading!

Week 14: Shelve, Paint, MAP test, SketchUp, Repeat.

So went this past week's schedule. Shelve or work on the big painting project every morning, then help set up computers for MAP testing, help test students, and finally, work with two 8th grade classes later that day on SketchUp. Add in two days of helping to run the library due to Ms. Allen being sick and running to the lab to help teachers with their MAP testing/computer issues, and that equates to one packed week! Needless to say, due to the hustle and bustle, I have no pictures to document anything from the past five days. Of course, I'm not sure how exciting those pictures would be anyways. Pictures of the MAP testing log in screen are not exactly the most thrilling thing to look at. Telling, perhaps, but definitely not inspiring. What I have been taking a lot of pictures of lately is this:

She's kind of a weirdo.

I have also been able to do this:

Meet my newest character Oscar, the Proper Otter. One day he may have his own children's book.

And this is what I'm doing now:

Nothing better than the husband's comfy jacket and a nice view while blogging. 

All thanks to this:

A beautiful sight, isn't it? In case you can't tell, the top picture is what my planner has looked like every week since I began working on my practicum (although this still isn't a great representation. Too bad I threw out all those sticky note "to-do" lists). The bottom picture is what my busiest week in the near future looks like. Granted, it will fill in, but the only thing I have left to do until I am completely finished with this class, program, and work towards this degree is to write one more blog post. Seriously- ONE more. Crazy. This week I even finished up my hours and submitted my time log! I'll still be in there though. I think Ms. Allen has appreciated the help almost as much as I have appreciated the learning experience. Plus, we still have a lot to accomplish. 

In addition, I actually do have some very big news regarding my future, but I'm thinking that should wait until next week. It's definitely grand finale status. 

Week 13: BOGO Book Fair

Hey Mrs. Lupton, I want to buy these two books.
That's great, Eric! Let me scan them and then I'll give you your total.
Okay. Here's the one I want to buy, and here's the one that I want to get for free.
Okay, Eric. That's fine, but you'll have to buy the more expensive one and then get this one for free.
Why can't I just get the cheaper one and then get the more expensive one for free?
(Laughs) Well, that's how BOGO works! (Smiles at Eric)

Well that's a rip off!

No, no, no. Again, that's how it goes...like everywhere... in real life.

But this is school.

But this is a BOGO sale and those are the rules of BOGO.

Well I think that's stupid.

Thank you for your thoughts, but I have no control over the BOGO rules, kid. Have a great day!

The struggle was real, folks. BOGO Book Fairs are a living nightmare. When first being told we were putting on a "buy one, get one" fair this week, my teacher heart was warm with the thought of kids getting the opportunity to get two books instead of just one. How quickly those warm, fuzzy feelings faded. If a kid doesn't understand the idea of BOGO, fine, I can explain. But repeatedly being accused of cheating people is mentally exhausting. All current librarians that have been in this position and survived- please, teach me your ways! 

Having the book fair allowed Ms. Allen and I the opportunity to discuss the many advantages and disadvantages to offering such an event to school and students. Her thoughts were very reflective of Ms. Maddox's at Cedar Grove. The major differences that I saw between the two was that Ms. Allen's was much smaller, less attended, and was not provided any volunteers to help. She seemed to believe that this was the norm for most middle schools, as students prefer to spend their money on other things that interest them.

Although fairly simple, I did find this little guy to be lacking in the user-friendly department. Sorry Scholastic!

Also this week, I worked with the library aides to get some serious shelving done. Every morning, one of my girls checks in books while the other girl shelves. Since Ms. Allen first gave me the responsibility of monitoring them at the beginning of my practicum experience, some days are very productive, while others are not as much. Their productivity often depends on their involvement in various clubs as well as their mood for the morning (shocking that mood would effect a middle schooler's performance, I know). Typically, we have one morning each week where we hit the shelving hard. The rest of the mornings throughout the week, I typically spend my time shelving. However, this week the shelves needed some major TLC and many books needed to find their way back to them. Overall though, these two ladies did an excellent job and worked very hard to get it all together and back to normal.

On a side note, Ms. Allen and I have completed yet another project aimed at creating an environment that is suitable and inviting to our students. This time, we spent about a week gathering resources and then choosing our favorites to turn into QR codes. Everything from virtual tours of famous art museums, to tutorials and homework help sites, to even silly prompts like, "Stop and dance. Yes, really. Do it!" are now mingling on our library walls. Close to fifty of them in all, we have been enthusiastic in promoting them to our students. The picture below shows just one section of many. The white bubbles hold the QR codes. 

We also have continued to create paper-based sculptures to use as installation pieces. This past week, I led a small group in creating some of the paper strands.

Like the paper cranes, we hope to expand our collection so that they branch out over the whole library!

Lastly, I am sorry to say that I must end this week's post on a negative note. This week, I learned that no one is to be trusted at my school because:

We have a thief in the night!!  

Okay, so that is being a little dramatic, but when I asked Ms. Allen how I should introduce this issue on my blog, that was the first phrase to come out of her mouth. Needless to say, I promised her that I would include the quote in this post. Not to mention, it is far better than anything I could have came up with! Now back to the issue- we seriously did have something taken from the library. 

This projector, which we have been using for our secret project, typically sits on a cart. But, when we first walked in Wednesday morning, we found it just like this- on the floor. Now, Ms. Allen often gets frustrated with teachers for not returning items such as laptop cords, keyboards, and computer mice, but taking a terrible old cart and just leaving the projector- without as much as a simple note- that was taking it to another level! One thing that I know I will need to be ready for as a LMS is the willingness to hunt down items. Traditionally, librarians only had to worry about getting their books back (which is a huge issue in itself), but the present-day LMS has a lot more to keep up with. Mobile labs, technology accessories, digital resources, etc.- the list could go on and on. It is a very common occurrence to have school-wide emails in my inbox regarding the disappearing act of a particular object or item from Ms. Allen. However, what is even more interesting about this particular instance of an object going MIA is that the cart STILL hasn't been returned. We are both curious to hear the story behind this one. I'll be sure to keep you posted!

Week 12: Helloooo Chicagoooo

Four whole days with 8th graders. That is 96 hours of being responsible for 90-something 13- and 14- year-olds. And of all places to go, we take our farming-community/small town teenagers to a city with 2.7 million people. My exact thought- This. Is. Going. To. Be. Insane.

Along with the 90-something 8th graders were seven chaperones- myself, three 8th grade teachers, our counselor, assistant principal, front-office secretary, and Ms. Allen. Although it was not directly related to library media, it is what consumed the majority of my time this week. The first half of the week (Monday-Wednesday) was spent like normal, at school. 

My 8th grade classes continued to work in the library with Ms. Allen and I on their SketchUp designs. As students created, they were quick to realize that to accurately create their design previously drawn on paper using the computer program, they had to do some research. From the beginning, Ms. Allen and I told the students that we knew very little about the program, but assured them that we knew they would pick it up much more quickly than the little bit we had. Sure enough, they have. As they encountered problems maneuvering within SketchUp, they began to fall back on their basic research skills. We showed them at the beginning that YouTube actually has some of the best tutorials. Without barely any further guidance, students began searching for answers using YouTube and other various tutorials on the web. They also seemed to enjoy teaching and learning from each other. You can only imagine Ms. Allen and I beaming with pride at the self-sufficiency our students have shown with this project. I could not be more proud of their attitude when taking on such a new challenge!  

Now to the Windy City...

We left school on tour buses right after school ended on Wednesday and did not return until late Saturday evening. On our travels, we visited the following:

Museum of Science and Industry

Field Museum of Natural History 

Shedd Aquarium

Navy Pier

Medieval Times

Willis Tower

China Town (a quick drive through was all that entailed)

Indianapolis Zoo

Check out this video for a quick look at some of our activities!

Looking back on the experience, I am still amazed at how smoothly everything went. Our kids were AWESOME! We complimented their behavior and smart decisions, and they seemed to genuinely want to give us something to brag about when we got back to school. I think all of the chaperones were equally surprised at the maturity (which has not been this group's strength this year) our kids showed. One of my favorite memories was listening to two of our boys behind me on the bus as they discussed Chicago's population:

Student 1: This might be the biggest city I've ever been to!

Student 2: Yea, it's big, but I've been to New York.

Student 1: Well, Chicago is pretty close, right? Like, it has a lot of people. Like millions.

Student 2: Yea. I think so. But I think there are other cities that are bigger- like Boston. Boston is really big too.

Student 1: I don't think it's bigger than Chicago!

...arguing...

Student 1: I'm going to look it up... This one says-

Student 2: You can't look at that site! It's not even reliable! Look at it's crappy page!

Student 1: Fine! How about this one?

So the debate continued and a decision was finally reached (Chicago is #3 according to population, with NYC being #1, and L.A. being #2), but sitting in front of them and listening between the seats, I found myself first laughing at their intense argument, and then smiling at their conversation regarding the validity of a source. Even small, informal conversations and moments can provide some of the best evidence that we are, indeed, making an impact. Ms. Allen should be proud!

Happy Easter everyone!

Week 11: {To: WKU} {With love: Lupton}

If I could have addressed my envelope that way, I would have. However, there is no way that I would do anything that could possibly alter the course of that small bubble-enveloped package. The box underneath is simply a return to Amazon, so don't focus on that. The envelope on top is what contains the good stuff- the stuff that I spent half of my life working on. That may be an exaggeration, but that's how I felt. 

When handing it to the lady at the post office, it was difficult to determine if I wanted to throw it at her like a hot potato and run or have the grip of a snapping turtle when she went to take it from me. Regardless, I knew one thing had to happen. I had to document the event in photograph form:

When my husband saw this picture, he immediately began laughing. "Please tell me you didn't ask the post office desk worker to take your picture! I'm embarrassed for you right now." 

Funny, I wasn't at all embarrassed. Maybe I should have been, but I was too excited. If I felt any embarrassment at all, I think it may have been when I giggled like a crazy person after this picture was taken. Even still, I'm not too terribly upset about it. 

This event, which happened at precisely 3:25 PM Monday afternoon, genuinely set the tone for the rest of my week back at work. Strangely enough, the kids were seemed just as wild as the week before break, but I have not minded quite as much. The awesome part of this week is that I was able to spend even more of it in the library! I have assigned my 8th grade classes an art project that requires a computer per group. Ms. Allen offered for us to use the library's computers so we could also have print resources at our disposal. So far, the projects are off to a great start. Although I have done the project before, it has been much easier this time around because Ms. Allen is also there to guide the students. We are both excited to see some of their creations! Spending this time in the LMC also means that I am getting to spend an additional hour and 50 minutes in the library three times a week! Adding it to the time log as we speak...

    

Week 10: Spring Break...wait, it's a break?!

Three cheers for Spring Break! hip hip hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! HIP HIP HOOORAAAYY!!

http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/736x/79/4a/f8/794af8b2a61a3f7e508e4111d92cfd94.jpg

It may have not been much of a break, but boy was it productive! Going into this break, I had set the goal of finishing my Practicum Portfolio. Sitting here on Saturday, I am proud to say that it is complete and waiting to be sent (and I didn't have a single breakdown...or at least none resulting in tears). Last Friday, I sat down and began to make a game plan for all that was to be accomplished this week and when. For the most part, I stuck to the game plan. Sure, everyone else went somewhere sunny and salty for the week, but I finished my portfolio. HOLY COW! I'm still pinching myself.

Since accomplishing this major goal of mine, I would like present my acceptance speech. Yes, it is necessary. I'm smiling as I type this:

I want to thank Dr. P. for being patient with me and always answering my 50 billion questions because I'm overly thorough. This process would not have been nearly as smooth without your guidance. You rock!
I also want to thank my husband for making sure we ate something this week when I could've been cooking dinner but spent two more hours "just getting one more thing done". I also am appreciative that you still love me and had faith that one day I would actually detach myself from the computer and regain my sanity. I love you, dear.
Lastly, I want thank my grumpy cat, Shake, for being so supportive throughout this entire process. Your rhythmic purring did not go unappreciated when you rested your little fluffy face on my laptop. Maybe you aren't so bad after all. Also, I'm sorry I tripped over you last week. I hope your fat isn't too sore.

On a more serious note, I found that while working this past week, I could not help but to analyze my ability to meet the CEBS dispositions as I went through all of my evidences and reflected on my experiences over the past two years. 

Values Professionalism:
Professional Development and involvement. References and makes use of professional organizations or publications. Willingly participates in professional activities or events that promote professional development.

Since recently joining AASL, ALA, and KLA, I have found myself caught up in the emails they regularly send me. Now that I am on the brink of being able to actually begin my career, I find many of the articles and resources relevant, as well as intriguing. Being "up" on the imminent challenges as well as the course of action to take if approached, I feel more confident in my ability to handle such situations. In the future, I hope to one day become more active in such organizations.

Values collaboration: 
Actively seeks out and incorporates ideas of others. Takes leadership in working with others to improve the overall environment. Regularly shares information and ideas. 

As one project after another continues to roll out at JTA, I grow to understand the importance of environment more and more. Not only have Ms. Allen and I managed to improve the physical environment of the library media center, but as a result, have also seen an increase in positive attitudes by both students and staff. It has been both exciting and rewarding to see the smiles and enthusiastic discussions spurred by artworks and various displays that have slowly been transforming the LMC. One of our personal favorites was in response to the paper crane installation hanging from the LMC ceiling. Upon walking into the library, we watched as one student stopped, and looking up at the cranes, said, "These are magical!" How perfect. We are still in awe ourselves. 

Values diversity:

Willingly works with others from different ability, race, gender, or ethnic groups. Welcomes feedback and interaction with others. Listens carefully to others and respects the views of those perceived as different from self.


Possibly stemming from the change in environment as previously mentioned, or perhaps at the constant urging of Ms. Allen herself, it seems that more and more teachers are visiting the library with their students. The mobile labs are being booked daily and more teachers are scheduling times to bring their classes into the library. One of Ms. Allen's greatest successes has come in the form of one particular math teacher. Working at our school for close to 15 years, Mr. B had never brought a class to the library. This semester, Ms. Allen and I have celebrated as Mr. B and his students have made an appearance twice already. While this may seem like nothing new or exciting to an outsider, someone who knows Ms. Allen understands that this is only because of her willingness to work with any and all that show interest. When first arriving at JTA, she laughs and tells about how she used to make cookies and cupcakes to lure the teachers in and try to persuade them to use her as a resource as well as the LMC. After so many years, it seems her plan has been successful. She genuinely is a great example of this CEBS disposition, and I can only hope to one day do the same.

Values Professionalism:

Respect for school rules, policies, and norms. Knows school rules and policies. Follows them consistently. Understands the purpose of regulations and respects their intent. Accepts responsibility for personally following them in patterns of dress, behavior, etc. EPSB Code of Ethics

I can't help it. This one is still strange to me when first reading it- as in, it is a given. However, upon second thought, it does make me think of one thing that I feel is very important and I would have never thought of until my practicum experience. The one thing that comes to mind is the consistency of procedures and rules in the library. The reason this one seems important to me is because I often see students come into the library and act worse than they would in the classroom. I think a large part of this issue is that they are just in a different setting so they think the norms do not apply to them anymore. As a LMC, I must be proactive in teaching my students these things early, and then staying consistent with their enforcement. Ms. Allen does a good job of this, but I think the teachers coming in do not always play the role they should in supporting the rules and procedures. In the future, I hope to address this early in the year as well- everyone must be on the same page!

Values Professionalism:

Professional responsibility. Accepts responsibility for own actions and for helping all students learning and actively seeks self-improvement. Consistently holds high expectations for the success of all students. Consistently looks to explain and remedy student lack of success by factors within the control of self.

Looking over my artifacts this week again, one thing that I made mental note of was assessment. In the educational world, it seems that often times, test scores are the only way to prove our validity as educators. Although sad, I know that I must continue to keep all assessments and assignments as evidence that I, in fact, am having an effect on student learning. I also must be sure to use my own form of assessment to determine the effectiveness of my lessons and activities. While we discuss this often in this program, I do know that I tend to dread that part. In the future, I must remember that assessments do not need to be lengthy or elaborate to fully gain insight into student learning. But not only do assessments tell about student learning, but even more about the teaching on the educator's part. By looking for trends and patterns, I will better be able to assess the effectiveness of my teaching and find areas where I can grow and improve.

Values Professionalism:
Commitment to self-reflection and growth. Recognizes personal limitations and strengths and uses them to best professional advantage. Actively seeks suggestions and constructive criticism. Regularly practices critical thinking. Regularly engages in learning through self-reflection. 

Lastly, the best examples of this disposition can be found both in this blog, as well as my Personal Educational Statement. First approaching the PES paper, I felt like it was simply another paper to write. Within one paragraph, I found that I rather enjoyed writing it. After five pages in, I found it to be truly telling of my story and my hopes for my future journey as an LMS. As I have mentioned in a previous post, reflection has always been one of my strengths. I grew up being told I was too hard on myself. It's true; I can not deny the fact that it even drives me crazy at times. But I also know that it is how I learn, how I improve myself, and how I make sense of the world around me. When writing this blog, sometimes I think I should keep it strictly professional, not including any of the personal happenings along the way. However, upon reading over previous posts, I strongly feel as though my reader would not be getting my true experience, as I would not be truly reflecting. In some ways, it is important to keep our personal and professional lives separate. On the other hand, I think that when we are really involved and are truly passionate about what we do, it becomes an involuntary act that the two are combined. I have found many times in the classroom that by using my own life experiences when teaching, I have provided not only foundations for positive relationships with my students, but also a lesson that suddenly becomes real and relevant to them. Without reflection, growth can not exist. Without growth, I not only hinder my opportunity for success, but also the success of my students.

Week 9: Woah.

Yep, woah. That's really the best way to describe it. What a crazy, wild, stressful week! The bad thing is that it all began promptly on Monday morning- the chaos, that is. Although hitting a more personal note, I feel the need to tell about my experience with the dreaded day that begins with the letter "M" in order to fully set the scene.
It all started with me getting out of bed. Seriously, that soon. I wish I was kidding. After rolling out of bed and the short walk across my room in the dark with me reaching out like a zombie, I somehow managed to lose track of my feet and tripped over our (rather large) cat. This sent poor Shake fleeing and me pushing myself up off the floor. While getting up, what I assumed was an eyelash "got in my eye", so I rushed to the mirror to examine it. Unfortunately, the mysterious eyelash was never found and my eye continued to water and hurt half of the day for no apparent reason. When I was finally able to get ready and out of the house (this was after I smashed my shin on my car door getting in), I drove all the way to the end of my neighborhood and suddenly realized that I had walked out without my coffee. Wanting to avoid an even rockier 45 minute drive to work, I turned around and drove back to grab it out of my mud room where I left it. When jumping back into the car, I realized that I was now running late, so like any other impatient person who feels like a 10 mph increase will actually make a difference, I sped up. But as luck would have it, when a precious, fluffy bunny decided to throw himself in front of my tires, I found myself helpless. The entire drive to work was spent in tears over the innocent rabbit's dramatic death.

And that was just the first hour of me being awake. The rest of the week seemed to be just as stressful.
This week included, but was not limited to:

-the last week before Spring Break a.k.a. kids that have lost their minds when you genuinely have a lot to accomplish
-snow...and all day long I had to explain that we would not be released from school early because it was not cold enough to stick
-Grades that had to be posted
-Observations from central office
-Data gathering from walk-through observations
-Lesson planning
-Filming of video for Practicum evidence
-Dealing with various behavior issues (talk about some "firsts"!)
-Did I mention it was also the week before Spring Break?

Obviously, there was a lot of negative laced in this week. Luckily though, there was plenty of positive too. Wild and stressful- yes, but still a lot learned. The secret project continues to progress at JTA, but is proving to be a little more time-consuming. I'm excited to reveal the final product to you in the coming weeks! Outside of that, JTA library stayed fairly quiet this week.

Cedar Grove, however, presented more opportunities for practice and growth- especially since this was the week that I taught my lesson. After spending two days working with this age group, I felt much more confident in designing a lesson that was age-appropriate and then presenting the lesson to them in a way that encouraged engagement and authentic learning. Talking with other teachers, most would consider middle and high school students to be the most intimidating, but coming from the other side, we would say the same of elementary! Being put in such a situation revealed to me that not only could I handle the age group, but I actually LOVED them! By the time Ms. Maddox and I left at the end of the day, her head was probably spinning from hearing all of my newly-gained insights.

For my lesson, I taught a 4th grade class about book reviews using the app 30Hands. To get the ball rolling, we discussed the elements of a successful book review and made a list that stayed up on the screen.

Once we had gathered all of the information, I introduced the students to the iPad app, 30Hands. 

This app was a new resource to me, but is one that I can see using in all types of classrooms as well as the library. It allows the user to create videos, or even digital stories, all in the same app. For our purpose, the students took about three pictures of their reviewed book and then recorded over the images the information needed for a review. This were to complete this assignment with a partner. I had created my own review and used it as an example. By the time I had finished showing mine, the students were ready to go! 

A not-so-hot picture, but you get the idea!

The finished product can be saved to a school account or made into QR codes. How fun would it be to have students create various videos and then post the QR codes around the library for others to access!

Reflecting on the lesson, I could not be more inspired! Not only did I enjoy working on this lesson with this age group, but the students truly very engaged and excited to learn! I could go on and on about lessons learned from this experience (such as the importance of knowing your students so you know who will actually work together and who will not), but I feel that I have rattled on enough. Practicum lesson = success!

On a silly note, was an incident that happened with a 3rd grade class. As they finished their assignments, they were allowed to sit quietly and play an educational game on the iPad they had been given for the assignment. Approximately an hour after they left, their teacher stuck her head in the library doors and frantically claimed that her students had said that they "saw a naked man on the iPads in the library". Equally as frantic, I grabbed up the iPads and began going through each one. Sure enough, the culprit was found.

Sweet boxers.
                                                 

But he was NOT naked...and was also cartoon. Whew! After breathing a sigh of relief with Ms. Maddox, we took it down the teacher's room to show her exactly what her students were buzzing about. Rolling her eyes, she said she would address it.

While there, I also noticed for the first time Ms. Maddox's barcode binder. What a genius idea!

Working at the middle school level, this idea is not feasible because of so many various classes as well as class changes during the year. However, for elementary, this is an excellent idea that I will be sure to implement if I become an elementary librarian.

The rest of the week at JTA went back to being chaotic. At home though, I found myself working hard at preparing my portfolio. My goal is to finish it by the end of next week. As things pick up at work, I know that I will neither have the time nor the energy to get it done after the break. Spring Break may not be much of a break when it is all said and done, but by the end, I should have a huge accomplishment to be proud of. Fingers crossed!

Week 8: A Practicum-Placement-Palooza!

That's right, folks. I got to spend my week in both of my Practicum placements- talk about an ideal week for learning! When school was called in my county due to snow on Monday, I quickly checked my other school in my home county. Sure enough, they were still in session. So off to Cedar Grove Elementary I went! Although days had been scheduled to visit CGES later that week, I was excited to get an early start, especially since I had not yet spent any time there. With a quick text to Ms. Maddox and a short drive down the road, I arrived, anxious to begin work.

As planned, CGES was kicking off their second book fair of the year. This was my first time helping with a book fair and I am fortunate that I was able to gain such an experience. Without any previous knowledge of them, I can see being intimidated by the process when I have my own library. However, working one with Ms. Maddox truly helped to calm my nerves. For her book fairs, she often sets up the books how she prefers them versus the Scholastic way, which is more similar to a bookstore according to her. She prefers to have all books in one location each, so she knows exactly how many she has and exactly where to direct students- much like a library.

Memories of time spent browsing the shelves myself brought a smile to my face when seeing her setup. 

Being a HUGE Downton Abbey fan, I completely cracked up when seeing this title. Downton and little mice? What's not to love?

Another thing that I noticed her doing was encouraging the students to spend their money on books first, and then buy various other merchandise only if they had extra money. Otherwise, many students would come in and spend all of their money on erasers, pointers, stickers, and any other various small item that Scholastic sends. I thought this was smart of her- especially for the younger students. I also felt like it said a lot regarding her and her program, that she would rather point students in the right direction versus just make as much money as possible. Although I hope that all librarians would want the best for their students as well, I'm sure that those small "quick sell" items are tempting to push.

Another thing I learned from listening to Ms. Maddox was the "Five Finger Test". Maybe others are familiar with it, but I had never once heard of it! The "Five Finger Test" is a guide for students to determine if a book is at their reading level. For instance, when choosing a book, students are to open to the middle and read one page. Every time they reach a word they do not know, they put up a finger. By the end of the page, if the student is holding 1-2 fingers up, the book is too easy. If they are holding 5 fingers up, then the book is too difficult, and if they have 3-4 fingers up, then the book is just right. Seeing first grade students conduct this quick self-assessment was exciting to see!

Throughout the day, we also had discussions regarding Accelerated Reader. We discussed the motivation, incentives, prizes, and implementation. I asked Ms. Maddox specifically how each grade seems to approach the program. We discussed point levels and how she keeps up with them. These "brag tags", created by a company called Image Stuff, have proven to be a great incentive for readers. With great customer service, prices, and many customizable options, she was quick to praise the company.

She also has awarded tshirts and then trophies for those that reach 100 points. At the end of each school year, all students who are in the "100 Point Club" have their names entered into a drawing for an iPad touch. The student with the most points overall gets an iPad mini!

Based on her experience, Ms. Maddox reports great results with the Accelerated Reader program. Students continue to be excited about it every year and very little motivation is needed to get them going. She did comment that the 4th grade teachers (against her advice) make Accelerated Reader mandatory, requiring all students to gain so many points per quarter. Their ability or willingness to complete the tests and earn points affects their reading grade. A discussion regarding the impact this can have on student motivation to read ensued and concluded with us agreeing that such requirements really are not a sound practice and have the potential to even harm reading habits.

On Friday, the book fair ended, clean up mode was in full force, and the day felt as though it had never happened. In between the crazy amount of sales and seeing five classes that day, I still managed to learn a great deal- at times, strictly through observation. I saw a wide range of ages, which was fun since I have only taught middle school. I also loved seeing the enthusiasm, especially from the little ones, as they walked away with new book under arm. One little girl even squealed- literally squealed- upon finding a book about a princess! It was difficult not to squeal right along with her!

Also during the day, I took note of how students interacted and used the technology given to them. Some on computers and others on iPads, students were engaged with various apps and programs that were designed for each of their ages. I also was happy to see how fluent the kindergarden students were in using the iPads. Given them just during the last few minutes, they were quick to go straight to some of their favorite apps with little to no help at all.

It made me reflect on how different my own learning experience had been and how crucial it truly is to implement and teach today's students using technology. This thought inspired me to run a lesson idea by Ms. Maddox in preparation for next week. Needless to say, I am eager to teach the lesson already!

As for work in my library, there was quite a bit of work done, but I'm still not ready to discuss it. Let's just say that improving the school learning environment is kind of becoming part of our mission this spring...and part of that mission might or might not include paint...

Week 7: Improving the library environment

A full week = a whole heckuva lot happening in the library! One of the more simple things I learned was one way to repair damaged books. While checking in and shelving books earlier this week (before the scan gun was ripped from my tight-fisted grasp by a student library aide...so much for power), I ran across several books that needed some serious love. Ms. Allen had recently received a catalog:

that she handed me and told me to flip to the repairs section. There I found all kinds of materials used to repair books and various resources in the LMC. Ms. Allen went on to explain some pros and cons she had found with different materials and some of her preferences. That's when she handed me this:

and gave me her testimonial regarding book tape. I say this half jokingly, but I'm completely serious when I say that she was adamant about choosing the right book tape. She claims that the solid, opaque tapes hold better and lasts longer than the translucent ones. Although she does like the looks of the clear tape better, she swears it does not last as long. I understand the importance of durability, but I must confess that having a background in art, it drives me insane that this tape is not only an eye sore, but that it actually covers up some of the artwork of the book, thus hurting its aesthetic. ICK! 

Regardless, I gave it a try myself. 

   

So ugly... 

but it was fixed! I was amazed at how solid the tape felt. I also felt like a book doctor, which is awesome because the thought of being someone who fixes things without dealing with blood is much more up my alley. 

Also this week, we kicked off our annual "Educators are Awesome" campaign. Every year, our principal sends out a mass email to our students' families asking for them to write which teacher they believe deserves an apple and why. While getting parents to respond to anything at our school is very much a challenge for us (especially at the middle school level), we do end up getting quite a few responses. The only negative to this week is that the Related Arts teachers (yours truly) as well as any other "non-core teacher" often gets over-looked. We all understand and accept this, but when one of us does get an apple, it tends to be a big deal. When given her apple, you would have thought Ms. Allen had just heard her name called as the next Miss America. Squealing commenced, and a proud picture was in order.  

"I think Ms. Allen deserves an apple for: All of the extras she's incorporated to make JTA and the library more inviting for everyone." 

This message of thanks could not have come at a better time, because it's true that the library and our school is undergoing a huge transformation. Below is a brief slideshow of the current things happening that is changing the look of our library.

Beside these displays, Ms. Allen and I have also taken on another, much larger, project that is impacting the overall environment of our school. Just this week, we began the first step. While I want to share, I think I'll save it for another time. 

Who would've thought that "In the Library With Lupton" has branched out to spaces much further than the walls of the library...