This morning I have been making handbills and postcards from the photographs I made yesterday of student artwork. Some awesome pieces in this show!
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Hard right rudder
One week into constructing a fan-powered boat in the MakerSpace we decide we needed a rudder. Used the opportunity to demonstrate Tinkercad and the 3D printer. We analyzed the resulting piece and the team decided it need to be larger to accommodate other components.
Labels:
3D,
ACS,
collaboration,
critical thinking,
design,
engineering,
fun,
Libraries,
makerspace,
Technology,
visualization
Casey scored some thank yous!
Received a swell batch of illustrated thank you notes from 5th graders for my recitation of "Casey at the Bat." Am displaying them on my library window.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Resurrected
They're back. Our persistent inquirer has worked past an unresponsive touch-screen and has been able to begin investigating the functionality of our archival Apple eMate! Cool beans.
Labels:
ACS,
engineering,
fun,
learning,
Libraries,
makerspace,
research,
students,
Technology
Friday, April 20, 2018
Class act
Gee, I just received some swell thank you notes from students for my recitation of "Casey at the Bat." What a nice way to go into the weekend!
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Overlook installation
Installed my six large author drawings for ELA Celebration Week on the gym overlook window at the top of the main stairwell. Also posted QR codes foe each that lead to books in our catalog. Above the drawings I created eight quick-hitter little handbills.
Labels:
ACS,
Art,
booktalk,
communication.,
creativity,
Isawitinthehallway,
leadership,
motivation,
visualization,
writing
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Responses
Have got my proof of a chapbook done of our ELA week at the end of April. These are creative journal and diary "responses" to poems that high school ELA students have read. I made TinyUrl links to the original poems.
Here's the "how-to" on the chapbook process that I used:
Here's the "how-to" on the chapbook process that I used:
Labels:
ACS,
booktalk,
collaboration,
creativity,
design,
fiction,
fun,
Literature,
makerspace,
visualization
BOE Certificate
Scored a nice certificate and nod of recognition from the BOE last night at their regular meeting. Always nice.
Casey
I enjoyed the invitation this morning to recite "Casey at the Bat" for 5th graders as they begin their unit on the integration of baseball (with a culminating trip to the baseball hall of Fame!). I also dropped off a bibliography of baseball titles in the ACSLIB as well as some charts from SABR that they might use for "graph reading."
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Ex Libris
Last night I attended a
program in Hamilton that was sponsored by the Colgate University Libraries, the MidYork Library System, and the Hamilton Public Library
entitled "How Libraries Shape Their Communities." It included a viewing
of "Ex Libris," a documentary about the New York Public Library, and a
panel discussion led by representatives of the sponsoring organizations.
Both the video and the
panel discussion highlighted the unique position of libraries to
collaborate with a wide variety stakeholders and programs to act as
resources, facilitators, and common ground in implementing strategic
learning and cultural opportunities for "communities." Not news to me,
but still, unfortunately (even for the NYPL), news for many.
I am, of course, pumped
after participating in this four-hour demonstration of leadership,
creativity, and purposefulness!
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Author Art for ELA Week
Labels:
ACS,
Art,
booktalk,
creativity,
fiction,
fun,
gettingthewordout,
Libraries,
Literature,
visualization
Monday, April 9, 2018
Equal time
A library colleague sent me this TED video that talks about balancing activities in both our "learning zone" and our "performance zone;" the learning zone being that low-risk, mistake-safe, growth environment that sounds a lot like most library environments; as opposed to always-graded, always-due, show-me-what-you-know classroom performance.
How about everyone getting into the act?
One idea I piloted and pitched to ELA instructors for Poetry Month was for staff and students to record recitations on video or audio of favorite poems. The staff of the NYPL has done just that; posting their selections at Soundcloud. Some real good ones, too.
Labels:
collaboration,
fun,
Libraries,
poetry,
Technology,
video
Poetry Month Update
Began this week by cranking up our poetry preparations. Sent this video to high school students and staff to get the celebration rolling ( Mrs. Delarco is going to use it as bonus question on her vocabulary quiz tomorrow).
Designed a handbill for a series of lunchtime poetry readings in the ACSLIB. Posted a bunch.
Also posted a few "Emergency Poems!"
Started what I hope will be a half dozen large portrait drawings of authors students have read in class so far this year; beginning with Tim O'Brien.
Also began to format and layout a chap-book of student journal responses to poems they have read.
Labels:
ACS,
collaboration,
community,
fun,
Libraries,
Literature,
motivation,
poetry
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Patient eyes, practiced hand
As we begin to prepare for and ramp-up to the ELA Literature Week at the end of the month, I am looking back on some of my book-talk videos which might fit in nicely with the purpose of this celebration. This one talks about the ability of historical fiction to breathe life into and supplement the rigor of nonfiction.
Grand (like in 1000) Prize!
Many thanks to Cindy B. at BOCES SLS for connecting me with the OverDrive School Stars contest last month. Turns out my video won the Grand Prize in their contest: a $1000 worth of ebooks and audiobooks for our ACS collection! Cool beans!
Labels:
ACS,
booktalk,
collaboration,
communication.,
creativity,
fun,
Libraries,
makerspace,
Reading,
video,
visualization
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Reinvigorated
I was reinvigorated this morning by a visit from a cadre of dedicated colleagues from BOCES. Thank you Cindy, Rebecca, Pam, and David for your enthusiasm and for the nourishing exchange of ideas, strategies, and good will. Let's stay in touch!
Thursday, March 22, 2018
pi (non)pattern
I'm a little slow on my response-time here, but the wall display that math students did for Pi Day does a nice job of illustrating the infinite non-repeating nature of pi by assigning each of the 10 digits a color.
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Lunch Hero Day
Designed and printing up a bunch of HERO earrings and keychains for our school cafeteria staff in celebration of National School Lunch Hero Day on May 4th!
Labels:
ACS,
community,
design,
fun,
gettingthewordout,
Libraries,
makerspace,
motivation
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Lit Week on the horizon
Learned at out guerrila-planned after school "coffee break" last week that HS ELA is planning a Literature Week around Shakespeare's birthday in April. I invited instructors to meet with me this week to share some activity ideas.
I would be glad to facilitate any of these suggestions:
- produce a Lit magazine of student work (similar to last year)
- host lunchtime or classtime poetry reads in the ACSLIB
- "Emergency Poem" postings
- dress of like a literary figure day; recite poem like a animitronic?
- create individual or class chap-books of favorite poems (I have a how-to video)
- create videos of students reading poems: with text or as a multi-poem "book" or as voiceovers
- magnet poems on bookends
- remake a poem from available words? wall-sized
- poem on a roll; use calculator tape for wall-length installation
- retro reads: fire up vintage vinyl readings
- caption an artwork; using our America series.
I would be glad to facilitate any of these suggestions:
- produce a Lit magazine of student work (similar to last year)
- host lunchtime or classtime poetry reads in the ACSLIB
- "Emergency Poem" postings
- dress of like a literary figure day; recite poem like a animitronic?
- create individual or class chap-books of favorite poems (I have a how-to video)
- create videos of students reading poems: with text or as a multi-poem "book" or as voiceovers
- magnet poems on bookends
- remake a poem from available words? wall-sized
- poem on a roll; use calculator tape for wall-length installation
- retro reads: fire up vintage vinyl readings
- caption an artwork; using our America series.
Labels:
ACS,
collaboration,
gettingthewordout,
Libraries,
Literature,
poetry,
visualization
Thursday, March 15, 2018
A bow to CCD & DUC
Added a small explanation to my display of Art book arrivals; crediting the funding source and the donating organization.
Some fine titles by diverse artists from the Distribution to Underserved Communities Library Program. Many thanks to the generous folks at Art Resources Transfer, Inc.
Some fine titles by diverse artists from the Distribution to Underserved Communities Library Program. Many thanks to the generous folks at Art Resources Transfer, Inc.
Thursday, March 8, 2018
What a relief
I dropped a high-contrast B&W photo into a “photo” template at www.tinkercad.com and printed this 2” x 3” relief portrait on the ACSIB 3D printer. Love the "drawn" line quality (my face looks line the Bingham Canyon copper mine)!
I was testing out Tinkercad as a go-to place for beginning students to practice manipulating 3D shapes into printing projects.
I was testing out Tinkercad as a go-to place for beginning students to practice manipulating 3D shapes into printing projects.
Labels:
3D,
ACS,
design,
gettingthewordout,
Libraries,
makerspace,
visualization
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
A lesson in making
Wonderful.
Labels:
Art,
creating meaning,
creativity,
makerspace,
reflection,
video,
visualization
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Monday, March 5, 2018
The good stuff comes to the top
This is cool. If you add the OPALS "extension" to Google Chrome (selecting DCMO/ Afton High School Library), then when you do any Google search, our books come up first!
DCMO School Links
Just wanted to have these where I could get at them:
Otselic Valley
Norwich
Franklin
Walton
Greene
Downsville
Oxford
Sherburne-Earlville
Unatego
Sidney
Bainbridge-Guilford
Delhi
Hancock
Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton
Unadilla Valley
Afton
Otselic Valley
Norwich
Franklin
Walton
Greene
Downsville
Oxford
Sherburne-Earlville
Unatego
Sidney
Bainbridge-Guilford
Delhi
Hancock
Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton
Unadilla Valley
Afton
Librarians fight Overdoses
Pretty sobering article in the NY Times about how a growing number of public libraries in New York State are taking on the challenge of training for, stocking, and delivering the anti-opioid drug naloxone for overdosing patrons. Libraries in high-density population centers are seeing a dramatic increase of patrons under the influence of opioids; including overdoses. NYS has enacted legislation adding libraries to the list of institutions such as schools that are authorized to possess and use naloxone. Testy question for each library out there.
Labels:
ACS civics,
community,
expectation,
Health,
leadership,
Libraries
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