Deep Thinking

Teaching hibernation can be great fun in the library. Every six weeks one of the kindergarten teachers on our team has the responsibility for planning centers with the librarian. Then each team member signs up for 1.5 hours to allow all students to rotate among a variety of centers. To study hibernation we had the following centers:
*Mini-book making with cutting, coloring, talking, sequencing, and reading. This gives students information in a small format that they can carry with them in their pocket to show they can read.
*Research using World Book Student Discovery Encyclopedias, whiteboards & markers to jot “notes” and pictures or a variety of animals that hibernate, and piece of papers to communicate to parents that begins “Today I researched hibernation in the library and I learned ” This communication reminds parents that libraries are vital pieces of the instructional program.
*Puppet making to sing the hibernation and waking song to the tune of Frere Jacques. By providing two puppets (one for each hand) of the students choice, they can engage all kinesthetic skills while singing along with 6 different animals that are either deep sleepers or hibernators.
*Computer Kidspiration center allows students to incorporate graphics, categorize information, type in new words, and listen to the computer read their words over and over before printing a copy to take home and show their families that libraries are essential entries for technology. A variety of skills are gradually and spirally taught to ensure students incorporate technology with their needs.

They enjoy using the whiteboards to take notes, then transcribing information to papers that go home to communicate to parents that students research in the library.

One center involves students using the program Kidspiration2 to categorize animals into Deep Sleepers, Hibernators, Migrators, and those that stay Awake in winter. Older students enjoy dropping by to help. Cross-grade learning occurs naturally when students take ownership for their education.

Students help each other and often stand while working on the computer. The librarian frequently reminds students to “Go show others something you have learned.” and “If you want to know what everyone is doing and how, walk around to look and ask them how they did that.” Active learning.

The librarian directs activities and asks students to think about how they can solve computer problems. Guiding and higher-order questions inspire students to think about why. Notice the displays to inspire students to ask questions. Nana Charlene Smith works on these with her grandson Trevor. Pirate ships, World War II, Dinosaurs, Animals, Space, Famous Women in History, whatever topics will help stimulate interest in history and science are welcome.

Kindergarten teacher Patricia Glover assists students assemble books in one center. Notice the smiley face on the window. Since this faces a courtyard, all classes walking down the hallway and visitors who enter the front of the building can see the smiley face and know they are welcome in the library.

Volunteer Tara Jordan steps in to help when a parent is unable to help. Students assemble stick puppets and learn songs about hibernating animals to the tune of Frere Jacques.

There are often many other activities occurring simultaneously including phone calls, technology requests, whole classes arriving for checkout and students needing help using the computer catalog to locate books. Interestingly, three teachers are partially visible behind student teacher Amanda Murray. One is checking out her own students so she can see what they are interested in reading. One is advising his class how to find biographies. One comes daily with her Language! group to locate interesting free voluntary reading materials. Creating displays to inspire students to learn takes time. We appreciate library assistant Dorothy Reed’s working on the Black History Display to make it better each year.

A volunteer from the local high school stops by at lunch to help. Community relationships are essential to well-run school library programs. Involved members of the community know what happens and care to make learning a successful experience in the elementary school.

What happens in the Library? While student teacher Amanda Murray was teaching a literature lesson to first graders, many other activities were occurring.

Children are enjoying their story. They enjoy it so much that only one child is distracted by the camera.

Dorothy Reed, library assistant, was shelving books.

FLIP (Friends Learning in Pairs) Senior Citizen program linked volunteers with students to read together one on one.

Volunteers from Fleetguard/ Cummins, a Pencil Partner for Hickman Elementary School, come each week to work with Math Manipulatives in groups of 1’s and 2’s or to read to children individually. Materials were supplied by a Fleetguard/Cummins math grant written by the librarian and reading specialist. Materials are maintained by them in the connecting book and math room.

Teachers like Dana Wallace work on the computer to create graphical projects and activities for their classes.

Grandparent volunteer, Nana Charlene Smith, repairs books and creates art displays to interest students in history and science books.

Classes, small groups, and individual students slip in for a quiet checkout. Notice the word wall near the clock.

Virginia Burke, second grade teacher, helps all grades check out books while her class looks for Accelerated Reader titles and read-alouds to use with a kindergarten class.

Students read at tables and talk to each other about their favorite parts of the story.

Computer technician Mike Powell arrives with 15 donated computers that need to be stored in the library office until new hard drives, mice and keyboards can be obtained. While he is in the building, he consults the librarian to see which classrooms have computer problems and installs a new computer and fax/printer/scanner to use with a new math initiative. The librarian will attend half-day training to be able to support classroom teachers scanning in assessment papers.

YMCA Fun Company site director Tara Jordan volunteers 5 hours or more a week and was able to help the entire faculty celebrate the librarian’s birthday in the library office.

When I requested permission from parents to use these photos, one of the kindergarten parents commented on how enthusiastic her child looked while using the computer. I was so grateful to be able to share more about the exciting things that happen in today’s library. We need to share more, tell more, and be enthusiastic.