Saturday, December 3, 2011

Last Week of Practicum

This past week was my last week of practicum because I finished all of my hours.
It was also the annual Scholastic Book Fair. Typically, she holds the book fair in the spring but she has had a lot of problems with Scholastic this year and was unable to get a time in the spring. The truck that dropped off the books for the book fair was suppose to arrive Monday morning. We waited, and we waited and we waited...until almost 2 or 3 in the afternoon. They dropped the books off and left, leaving us and a few moms (as in maybe 5 people total) to set up. I left around 4:30 so I don't know how long it actually took to set up.

Some of the boxes came sopping wet. My supervisor called Scholastic to get new materials and the new materials never showed up. This made Mrs. Walsh very mad.

On Wednesday and Friday, I went in around 7:15. It normally starts around 7:30 so parents can buy books but they came early anyway. Wednesday morning, we had a long line. Certain times such as during lunch we had longer lines. The rest of the time, the book fair was slow.

Mrs. Walsh said a lot of the parents were putting money limits or saying no to higher priced books. Some reasons were that it is closer to Christmas, we are feeling the economy and that the fundraisers the school holds earlier in the year just drain parents' pockets. She said this had been probably the worst year.

On Friday afternoon, we closed all the cases and put all the books away and closed down.

My hours were 8 to 4:30 on Monday, 7:15 to 4:00 on Wednesday and 7:15 to 2:15 on Friday.

Picture from:
http://www.prepta.org/

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Last week of regular library time

This past week was my last week of regular library times. All three days, I read to nearly all of the classes to let my supervisor work on book and reading fair materials. On Monday and Wednesday, I taught my mythology lessons to the 5th and 6th grade. It went pretty well but they had the it-almost-a-week-long-break bug. They are pretty interested in mythology however know hardly any myths outside of Greek. My final week in practicum will be the week after Thanksgiving when the book fair will be held. It will be nice change of pace but I do not know what I have gotten myself into. The book fair will complete all of my hours.

No practicum next week due to the school being closed for Thanksgiving break!

This is Ganesha, the god of good luck in Hinduism. We discussed why he has an elephant's head.

I went in from 8:00 to 1:40 on Monday, 8:00 to 2:45 on Wednesday and from 8:00 to 3:00 on Friday.


Picture from:
http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/R/Erica.L.Rau-1/aboutme.html

Sunday, November 13, 2011

I went in on Monday from 8 to 1:35 and Wednesday from 8 to 2:40.

On Monday, I put up posters around the school for the Scholastic book fair that is happening the week after Thanksgiving. I read to a couple classes.

On Wednesday, I made copies of materials for the book fair. My supervisor is stressed because the book fair is the only way she makes the majority of her budget.

Tomorrow I am doing mythology lessons for the 6th grade lessons.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

I went in on Monday from 8 to 1:35 and on Wednesday from 8 to 2:40.

On Monday, I got to run the library by myself. All the classes went well except. One of the sixth grade classes I used silent library but they still acted up and I'm not surprised that all classes act like angels.
On Wednesday, my supervisor and I discussed what I want to do for my lesson. I am doing a lesson on mythology in a couple weeks for the fifth and sixth grade classes. I started on posters for the book fair the week after Thanksgiving.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

This past week I worked 8 to 1:35 on Monday, 8 to 11:40 on Wednesday and 8 to 11:40 on Friday.

It was the same thing with cataloging books and helping the students. I donated books to the library and sorted through them to see what she wanted. She wanted almost every book.
Mrs. Walsh uses Renaissance Learning to obtain AR points. Sometimes books are not on RenLearn because they have have come out and they haven't read and determined the points or they find that books aren't worth any points. Also, they can't get to every book. The more popular series come out quicker.

Educators can submit recommendations for books to be read and determined point merit. I learned this week how to do this.

In the next couple of weeks, I will be making lesson plans for the 5th and 6th graders in mythology.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

This past week I went in from 8 to 1:35 on Monday, 8:15 to 2:45 on Wednesday, and 8:15 to 2:30 on Friday. It was a normal week pretty much. More books came in and more books cataloged. I read to several classes on Friday. Also, it was Read-A-Thon week for the students and teachers. The students compete to read the most minutes and they win different small prizes per day. The class with the most minutes wins a special prize with a surprise person. The teachers compete amongst themselves (I don't know if they get prizes). Hopefully,  I get to see what the big surprise is!

Picture from:
http://www.haywoodroadmarket.org/books.html

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Got to be in charge for a day

I only went in on Wednesday (the 7th) because the students were off on Monday for Columbus Day while the teachers had an in-service day (my supervisor didn't have to go in) and Friday was my fall break. I went in 8 to 3.
I was in charge for the day. It was quite a task! I read all the books to all the classes, made sure that all the Pre-K and kindergarten classes had their color sheets and the older students were getting their books in a timely manner. I thought the students would not be good. However, they were angels. Don't really know how they were angels!  Overall, it was a busy day and I wasn't just cataloging books all day.
Sacred Heart is starting Read-A-Thon this coming week. I think this will be a new experience. The students and teachers record how many minutes they spend reading as a fundraising. I love that they are allowed to read and have a way to read.
My favorite book I read this past week was the tongue twisting Double Trouble in Walla Walla.  Andrew Clements is the author.
http://andrewclements.com/
Random fact: Beverly Cleary, creator of the Ramona books and an award winner, was a librarian.
http://www.beverlycleary.com/

Friday, October 7, 2011

Another week, more books

I went in from 8 to 1:40 on Monday, 8:15 to 12:10 and 1:00 to 2:45 on Wednesday and from 8:00 to 12:00 on Friday.
Since it is such small library, it is hard to not catalog books or read to or help the students. I completed cataloging the Nancy Drew series, Hardy Boys series and Boxcar Children series. They were on the shelves but hadn't been updated with newer AR points and levels and some hadn't been cataloged into the system. However, I get to share information about mythology with the 5th and 6th graders when November draws closer.
I also got to read to books to a few classes. My favorite books that I read ended up being the Mo Willems books about the pigeon. The pre-k classes really enjoyed the books because they are simple but enteraing.

Coming up: Read-A-Thon and Book Fair. There is a surprise baseball player visit in connection with Read-A-Thon. Even Mrs. Walsh doesn't know who the baseball player.

More about Mo Willems and his Pigeon:
http://www.mowillems.com/
http://www.pigeonpresents.com/

Picture from:
http://www.lmnop.com.au/2011/04/mos-magic/

Saturday, October 1, 2011

More cataloging and a bulletin board

On Monday, I went in from 8 to 1:40. On Wednesday, I went in from 8 to 9:15 then from 11:22 to 2:50 and on Friday from 8:10 to 1:50. This past week, I did more cataloging. Basically, Mrs. Walsh is one woman with 2 kids and not enough time to catalog everything. I don't mind cataloging because it really does help her out a lot. One of us can read to a class while the other is working on books. Next week, we begin to conquer to Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Boxcar Children books (which there are about 40 to 50 books in each series).
On Wednesday, I created a bulletin board for the display case right outside of the library.  My theme was Coming Attractions. These are movies that coming out in the next few months or the next couple of years that are based on books.
The movies are:
Hugo (based of The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick)
War Horse (based on War Horse by Michael Morpurgo)
The Hobbit (based on The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien)
The Hunger Games (based on The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins)  
The following pictures are of the bulletin board display.






Sunday, September 25, 2011

Illness and a love affair with tape

On Sunday night, I got very sick and was unable to go in on Monday. I called Mrs. Walsh and let her know I was unable to come. On Wednesday and Friday, I worked from 8 to 12 both days because I still felt under the weather.

Because she doesn't have a large budget, Mrs. Walsh has to order materials or order the materials to protect the books. She chooses to order books because she rather have the students read than protect books. She had gotten in a new shipment of books that needed to be cataloged. Both days, I cataloged this books and put tape along the spines and other areas that needed to be protected from the wear and tear of kids. I read to a 1st grade class. I also started working on my bulletin board.


Clip from:
http://www.fundraw.com/clipart/clip-art/2206/Tape-Dispenser/

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Week 3

This past week was the first time I went in on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (Sacred Heart Library is only open those days). I did similar things as the last couple of weeks. For example, I cataloged VHS tapes, shelved books, and checked books in and out.

I have also started putting books into the Alexandria system. Mrs. Walsh is laid back about how the materials are put into Alexandria because the library is not really big. I have to search for the book. If a MARC record is found, I use it but if not I have to due a manual entry. For a simple manual entry, I add the author's name, title of the book and a call number (such as F BOO for fiction and 760 BOO for non-fiction materials). Alexandria automatically gives me a barcode number that I must stick in the book. Before I put a book in the system, I have to check Renaissance to find out if there is an AR quiz for the book. If there are no AR quizzes, then we have to set the book aside and not put the book on the shelf until an AR quiz is available. The students have to meet certain AR point goals each 9 weeks and it is pointless to put books on the shelves if they cannot be tested on.

I am still learning the ropes about how to be patient with the children. Each class is different from the last in behavior. Some children will try to get books out of their reading level and insist they must have it. Sometimes, they get too loud. Sometimes, they want to ask questions that are really not relevant to the book you are reading to them. However, I am learning how to run a library and how to deal with children of different ages.

This week, I am creating a bulletin board with a theme of books that are coming out as movies (more details to come). Also, I am super excited about hiding gingerbread men in early December.

I worked from 8 to 1:35 on Monday, 8 to 11:45 and 1:22 to 2:40 on Wednesday, and 8:00 to 11:40 on Friday.

Renaissance Learning

http://www.renlearn.com/

Picture Source:
http://2helpme.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/library/

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Practicum: Week 2

I worked from 8 to about 2:30 on Wednesday and from 8 to about 2:40 on Friday.

I am still trying to learn more about the Alexandria system but it is getting easier to run. Both days, I check book in and out and shelved. I cataloged more VHS tapes and added/deleted books to the system. I also searched the system to check how many copies of certain books were in the system already.

I also read to 3 different classes. Sometimes, it is difficult to read to them because they want to ask questions or they don't pay attention or talked to each other. I had to explain fiction and non-fiction to the pre-k classes which is difficult. They had a tornado drill on Friday. It was a new experience to not be a student and be involved in one.

I think it is getting easier but I'm still learning the flow of things.

Friday, September 2, 2011

First Practicum Experience

Today, I went to my first day of practicum at Sacred Heart School. I went in at 8 when school started and left around 2:15 this afternoon. I expected it to be a little crazy the first day I went in and considering that it is Friday, it was a little crazy. First, Mrs. Walsh explained how her library is set up. The library is set up is two main divisions: non-fiction and fiction. Non-fiction is under the Dewey system while the fiction is by F and the first three initials of the author last name. The fiction is narrowed down by reading leaving (3,4,5,6,etc.), picture books, and series books. She always showed me where the videos were.

Mrs. Walsh uses the Alexandria system for circulation purposes. She taught me how to check books in and out, how to catalog materials, and how to renew and search for materials. I check in a few books before the first class showed up early.

She teaches each class for about 30 minutes a week. Certain classes come in on certain days. Each class has a different book (or more) for their age. Pre-K through 1st do projects while 2nd through 6th check out books. It felt rushed with each class because it is a Friday, a holiday weekend and the first football game of the season for the high school. However, Mrs. Walsh allowed me to check out student materials using Alexandra when it was needed and I even got to read to a 1st grade class. When classes were not there, I check in books and even got to catalog a few books and videos.

I really enjoyed the first day and once I get a grasp on Alexandria and getting to know how the classes work, I will enjoy doing this practicum.

Random facts: Former First Lady Laura Bush was a librarian and we use many idioms in our everyday speech (such as "That is how the cookie crumbles")


Links:

Sacred Heart
http://shshattiesburg.com/
Alexandria
http://www.goalexandria.com/

Clipart courtesy of 
https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/projects/trc/2005/clipart/index.html

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Booktalk

The following link is for my booktalk I did for my LIS 417:Children's Literature Class taught by Dr. Stacy Creel at the University of Southern Mississippi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NVJgvdz-dc

Books used: Out of My Mind Sharon M. Draper The Seer of Shadows Avi