I have to go back to school when?

I was checking my calendar for everything I have coming up and when I have to go back to work. Our school has 7 inservice days before school starts on Aug. 19th. So teachers start back Aug. 10th. I have to be back for 5 days before other teachers plus I have an inservice day at my Co-op on Aug. 3rd. So I have to be back to work on July 31st, which is the day after my last class final at UCA. Bummer!!!!!!!
Even with my summer pretty much over, I can't wait to get back to my library and try new things, get ready for the new year and read some books that aren't textbooks!!
I hope everyone has some time off before you go back to school. I've enjoyed being in class with all of you.

Do you know Dewey?

I found a wonderful website about Mevil Dewey and the DDC. And it was made by sixth graders at Nettleton Intermediate Center in Jonesboro, Arkansas. It is a wonderful interactive site with information and quizzes on the DDC.

The website has a wonderful story to explain the different groups in the DDC. Please go to this website. It is a wonderful tool in learning about the DDC, fiction/nonfiction, and call numbers.

The website is: http://library.thinkquest.org/5002/index.shtml

Christmas Around the World

I came up with an activity to do with my sixth graders to incorporate research skills, multicultural history and technology. The students choose a country to investigate their Christmas customs. They use the internet and encyclopedias. I created a worksheet that guides them to find out information in cultural/religious celebrations for Christmas or another winter holiday. They also look for any customs their own family uses. They write a short informational paper that they read during their library class. They find it very interesting how most of our customs for Christmas come from other countries like England, Spain, Germany, France, etc....

Jan Brett's official Website

I love Jan Brett's books. She is a wonderful author and illustrator. I do a month long Jan Brett author study with my first graders. We not only discuss the similarities in her books, but her work as an illustrator.
Her official website is:
http://www.janbrett.com/index.html

She has a lot of marvelous ideas for her books, as well as coloring pages. She gives background information on why and how she came up with the idea for her books. Her book, The Three Snow Bears, is on the Arkansas Diamond Award List for this next school year.
If you are an elementary LMS, I encourage you to investigate her website.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

My students love the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. I have only (so far) read the first one and I really loved how the author, Jeff Kinney, writes from Greg Heffley's point of view. The kids say all the time how they can relate to what happens to Greg.
The fourth book, still untitled, is due out Sept. 1st, with the fifth book coming out in 2010. I heard that the first book is being made into a movie. Some of the students agree with me that the movies they make from popular books don't compare to the books themselves. You don't get little thought bubbles over the characters head to see what they're thinking and there's not enough time in a movie to see the relationships built by the characters.
I haven't seen most of the movies made from books, but I do watch the Harry Potter ones- the next one comes out this month. I need to get out the other ones to refresh my memory in preparation of the movie opening.

CMS award book

I just found out, thanks to Dewyn's blog, what the Charlie May Simon winner was for this past year. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is a wonderful book. It won at my school. A third grade teacher even read it to her class. Beware though, you'll cry. Even though it's about a toy stuffed rabbit, the journey he takes and what he learns along the way is very heartwarming. I really urge you to read it!!!!!!

What's a widget?

I've seen the term "Web 2.0" several times and not wanting to look or sound ignorant, decided to look around the web for what it is.
Wikipedia says " Web 2.0" refers to what is perceived as a second generation of web development and web design. It is characterized as facilitating communication, information sharing, interoperability, User-centered design[1] and collaboration on the World Wide Web. It has led to the development and evolution of web-based communities, hosted services, and web applications. Examples include social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, mashups and folksonomies." (Wikipedia, 2009)
So I guess this (my blog) is Web 2.0 stuff.
I found an interesting article about Web 2.0 and some New York libraries using grant money to help students access reference materials through the public libraries.
They will use widgets which is a small mechanical device to send the students doing homework and assignments to the correct places in the reference databases.
Teachers and librarians will have training on this in November. They hope to have the first one going by Dec. 1, 2009. Check out the article.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6666827.html?industryid=47079

Twittering

I have to be honest... I never looked at a blog until I got this assignment. I had heard about blogs, just never thought they pertained to me. Now the new sensation... Twitter. So should I learn about it before I get an assignment? (No, Rachel, it's not a hint)
I read an article where the teacher used Twitter to assess high school students on the levels of hell in Dante's Inferno. They had to describe each level as if they were Dante writing to Beatrice.
Read it for yourself: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6647718.html
I thought it was a very interesting way to incorporate technology in the classroom.

Librarian lay-offs

I just read a horrible article on the Library Journal's webpage. It is about school districts in Washington state cutting out having a media specialist in the library and putting in aides. The slms, instead of being laid off are moving to classrooms because of the increase in students. There are other articles about lay-offs of librarians in California, Arizona, etc... It is worrisome in this time of economic hardship! Read the article at http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6663004.html?rssid=190

Mandy Moo

By the way- my family and some friends call me Mandy Moo or MooMoo (my brother across Wal-Mart especially) because I collect black and white cows.

Glad to meet all of you!

It was so fun to meet all of you today. It was a great learning day. I really learned that I have a lot to learn about technology trends. This is my first blog-doing one and seeing one. Have a blessed day!!

All About Me

My name is Kathleen Amanda Brady (maiden name, now middle name) Bennett. My nickname is Mandy. This is my first semester at UCA. I taught second grade for 9 years and this past year was the LMS for my school, Norfork Elementary. I am loving it.
My family and I live in Mountain Home. We moved here from Louisiana 12 years ago. My husband of 15 years, Randy, is the love of my life. My son, Cullen, is 16 yrs. old, 6'1" with a size 15 shoe and still growing. I have a step-daughter, Sheena, and 4 wonderful grandkids: Tamara (8), Lexie (5), Taylor (4) and Skylar (almost 3). They live in Texas, so I miss them a lot.