Friday, October 26, 2012

EXCITING HAPPENINGS


Today was our first Computer Games Day of the year. Students had the opportunity to come to the IMC at study to play CD-ROM games already preloaded on the IMC computers. Students who participated today had a good time enjoying our wide variety of gaming choices. Computer Games Day at Study will reoccur every Friday from now on.

On Halloween I will be visiting the 6th grade LA/Reading classes with a special Halloween treat. I will present one of the stories from Patrick Carman's book 3:15 Things That Go Bump in the Night. Each story starts with an audio introduction online. Then I read the story. Finally the story ends with an online video conclusion. Three ways to enjoy the story, 15 minutes total for the whole story = 3:15!

Next Friday Miss Trefonas's fifth grade advanced reading class will begin regular visits to the Lakeview IMC. In this first visit they will learn how the Lakeview IMC handles book checkout, listen to a book talk about some of my favorite books, and make their selections for checkout. I look forward to greeting these new and future users of the IMC.

Friday, October 12, 2012

ONLINE BIBLIOGRAPHY MAKER


Today the 6th grade Language Arts classes had their first exposure to NoodleTools, an online bibliography maker that is used at Downers Grove South High School. Our first project is to create an annotated bibliography of their book report books for the year. After a brief introduction to the Login portion of the IMC's online catalog I.P.A.C., students' used a title search in the I.P.A.C. to find the record of the book they used in their first book report of this year. Using information in that record, they filled out a bibliography worksheet. Then in NoodleTools (formerly called NoodleBib) they created an account and opened a project file. Copying information written on their worksheet, they completed the fields of the Book Citation. When they clicked on the Submit button, the program automatically puts the information in bibliography format and saves their entry. Most classes also had the opportunity to try exporting their citation from NoodleTools into Google Docs. This will be the process used for written bibliographies here at Lakeview and at DGS. The Book Report project is a way to practice in NoodleTools and be ready when research projects start later in the year. Links to the Lakeview I.P.A.C and NoodleTools/NoodleBib are available on the Lakeview Library webpage.

Friday, October 5, 2012

BUSINESS IS PICKING UP


At the end of this week 8th grade Social Studies classes began working on their World View Projects. Working in groups students are brainstorming, then using the computers to find images, then creating some object which will contain images of their view of the world in several categories. This project continues in the IMC through next Thursday utilizing computers on Tuesday and the Reference tables after that. Meanwhile 7th grade math classes and 6th grade Language Arts classes will also be using the IMC computers next week.
Student ID cards were distributed this week. On the back of the ID is the library barcode. That means that this student ID is also a Lakeview library card. From now on students are expected to have their library card with them when they checkout IMC materials. Keeping their ID card with them or in their binder is a very good idea. Or at least keep the ID card in their locker so it is easily accessible. Student are allowed 1 free checkout (without their ID) in each quarter. The IMC keeps track of these free checkout in our automation system. If a student loses their ID card, they need to report the loss to both the office and the IMC. A temporary library card will be issued once at no cost. Lost cards that are found in the IMC (or in books) are returned to the student.