Blingaz Tech Talk

  EXPLORE ** Implementation ** The interview with Heather Loy, the school librarian at Wagener-Salley High School focused on Explore.  She explained that she is implementing these competencies in the library program through the purchase of comics plus, which is an online subscription for K-12.  The library program has middle and high school versions to support the reading levels of all the students in the school.  Her decision to purchase an online comic book subscription was prompted by the circulation statistics for graphic novels.  The students consistently requested books that had already been checked out.  The comics plus subscription provides multiuser access to books, plus it has its own app.  The library services also includes MakinVIA, a complete eResource managment system allowing access to eBooks.  This is an effort to implement the domain Think , in which students are encouraged to read widely in multiple formats.      ...

  CURATE ** Implementation **  As a first-year school librarian at Hephzibah Middle School, Stephen Roper has concentrated on domains Think and Create in these first four months of school.  For the domain Think , Roper presented a lesson to 8th grade International Baccalaureate (IB) students on using the GALILEO ( G eorgi A LI brary LE arning O nline) database to research their topics for their IB projects.  Topics relate to improving local community problems such as homelessness, food scarcity, and pollution.  Roper provided an introductory lesson and incorporated the basic research process.  This involved using keyword searching by brainstorming words related to their topic.  Then, the students had to use GALILEO TO idenitfy sources of information they chose to use in their research.        ** Resources ** GALILEO is an excellent and underused resource by students because they do not fully understand the scope of the resources t...

  Collaborate ** Think **  The school librarian is Lori Hoover,  served as an English teacher at the school prior to the current position at Hephzibah High School.  Her skills as a classroom teacher supports her continued service to patrons as a librarian.  She facilitates collaborative opportunities by the following: S tudents select art pieces to study in depth from a list, research the pieces, and add slides to a Powerpoint in Onedrive.  Students then present to classmates to “teach classmates” the material. Students select music pieces to study in depth from a list, research the pieces, and add slides to a Powerpoint in Onedrive.  Students then present to classmates.  Students then present to classmates to “teach classmates” the material. ** Create **  Students choose a type of media festival production to produce and they choose specific roles (script writers, proofreaders, camera persons, editors, etc.). They work together to act (if ap...

INCLUDE ** Implementation ** The interview with Tammy Story provided some interesting insight on the Shared Foundation Include.  At Richmond Hill K-8, Story implements a full and eventful schedule.  She implements the school librarian domains and competencies through story time for grades K-4. She includes story time in a flex schedule where teachers sign-up during their class time for her to read a story to their students.  The teachers and or the paraprofessional for the class is in proximity, but Story goes into another world with the kiddos.  She reads a book or shows a story from story online .  She engages learners by asking before, during, and after questions.  Even though the majority student population is African American, Story makes story time inclusive by reading diverse books that cover different ethnicities, genders, topics, and themes. ** Resources  ** Story implements various resources and variations to implement this valuable library p...