Read - Wonder - Innovate!
  • Library Home & Information
  • Library Resources
    • K-4 Symbaloo
    • New books!
    • Websites and more!
    • Nutmeg Books
    • Search Engines for Kids
    • Digital Resource Login Info
    • Book release calendar
    • Series and Your Next Read help
    • Book Trailers
    • Image Sources
  • LMC Blog

Connections

10/18/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Sticking worms on Bean's sister Nancy
I've been thinking a lot about connections lately. This is continuing a bit from last months post, but these connections have taken on a life of their own and have certainly gone in directions I never would have expected.

Read for the Record fell right into place as Mr. Schu and Mr. Winner skyped with 1st graders and Kindergarteners! We had such a good time reading back and forth, and sometimes even together! Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad was a great read (and connected with the insects Grade 1 was studying!). Shortly after, author Stephen Cranie tweeted that he was going to be doing skype sessions for folks that signed up! How awesome is that? After reading his Mal and Chad books, my family and I were hooked!

I shared my excitement via Twitter and the next thing I knew, my one of my second grade classes was invited to skype with Mme. Madeley and her French immersion students in Canada. 20 minutes was not enough for these kids - they had so many more questions. Our fabulous tech integration specialist Michelle Gohagon (@mgohagon) had a blog up in no time called Our Friends to the North and the classes are continuing to learn from one another. Amazing! What an opportunity for these kids to have!

Enter Ivy & Bean! October 13 was the day to celebrate the Ivy + Bean series by Annie Barrows.  I wanted to throw an Ivy + Bean celebration in the library and I began reading chapters from various Ivy + Bean books aloud during library to hook them! 2 parties were planned to accommodate 3rd and 4th grade lunches and recess on October 11.  I put up some posters, set up Ivy + Bean books in the library, and handed sign-up sheets to the teachers.  100 out of about 180 students signed up! Whoa! That's a lot of s'mores! These students were so excited to be a part of this celebration! What a connection we were forming together! Who wouldn't love a gooey s'more while sitting around our "flashlight" campfire listening to Mrs. Lussier sing and read parts of Ivy + Bean Make the Rules? We stuck worms on Bean's sister Nancy and acted like zombies.  Then I sent them out to play.

Today was Ivy + Bean celebration #3. Oh yes. About 30 kids had soccer games last week and were so disappointed that we had a make-up party. It was awesome!

Lastly, my amazing assistant Mrs. Miller finished genre-izing our 3/4 library and I have already noticed a difference.  Kids are going places and taking out books that they just haven't before.  When I ask if it is easier to find things now, the answer is always yes. They are connecting with the Korn Library and with books they love!

What does it all boil down to for me? Connecting. Whether it is a bunch of us sharing a story together in the dark, meeting new friends from around the continent, or doing a shared reading of some kind, I think kids love being with people who are excited about what they are doing. They want to learn about one another and are fascinated when they get the chance to ask their own questions.

I am hoping to carry this idea of connecting throughout the year. I am about to begin adding QR codes with book trailers attached to the inside covers of books. Students will read the QR codes using iPod touches purchased with money from a grant from the Coginchaug Valley Education Fund. We will wait and see what kinds of connections come from this next step.

It's an exciting time!

0 Comments

    RSS Feed

    Author

    Mrs. Lussier is a Library Media Specialist at Brewster and John Lyman Elementary Schools in Durham & Middlefield, CT.  I am passionate about getting kids reading (ok, everyone!), wondering, using technology and having FUN!
    Follow me:
    Twitter: @jluss
    Instagram: mrslussierlibrary
    Facebook: @mrslussierslibrary
    Google+: Jenny Lussier
    Pinterest: jluss13

    Jenny's books

    Dangerous Deception
    Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny
    Bugged: How Insects Changed History
    Bramble and Maggie Spooky Season
    Nest
    The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
    Mouseheart
    Me Want Pet!
    Queen of Christmas
    The North Star
    Kate the Great, Except When She's Not
    Tap to Play!
    When the Silliest Cat Was Small
    Cows Going Past
    Vote for Me!
    Snowmen All Year
    Uni the Unicorn
    Chickens to the Rescue
    Wazdot?
    The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House


    Jenny Lussier's favorite books ยป

    2019 Reading Challenge

    2019 Reading Challenge
    Jenny has read 1 book toward her goal of 350 books.
    hide
    1 of 350 (0%)
    view books
    Tweets by @jluss
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Map

    Blogroll

    Librarydoor
    Book-a-day Almanac
    The Nonfiction Detectives
    A Year of Reading
    Librarian's Quest
    Great Kid Books
    Free Technology for Teachers
    SLJ
    The Styling Librarian
    The Book Whisperer
    The Busy Librarian
    Barrow Library Media Center
    Watch. Connect. Read.
    Kid Lit Frenzy
    Chocolate Air
    Daydream Reader
    BookJeannie
    100 ScopeNotes
    The Daring Librarian
    Sharpread
    Librarian in Cute Shoes
    Read Write Reflect



    Archives

    April 2019
    September 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    July 2016
    June 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    October 2012
    September 2012
    May 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    July 2011

    Categories

    All
    21 Century
    21st Century
    Aasl
    Authentic
    Author
    Author Visit
    Books
    Booktrailers
    Collaboration
    Common Core
    Curation
    Ebooks
    Education
    Elementary
    Google Earth
    Information Literacy
    Ipads
    Library
    Makerspace
    Msla
    Reading
    Research
    Science Fair
    Skype
    Smartboard
    #walkmyworld
    Web 2.0
    Writing

    Click to set custom HTML
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.