Air Pods

If you want to know any details about the latest technology, just ask a middle schooler! After Christmas break, air pods could be seen sticking out of many ears within the hallways and classrooms of our middle school. I didn't think much about it until I started taking a closer look and asking questions. Students can get permission from their teachers to listen to music while working online if that helps them to focus. I require students to use earbuds if they are watching and listening to video clips from any of the databases they use for research. Rather than pulling out and untangling colorful wires with earbuds at the end, students are reaching for a small white container the shape and size of dental floss. They pull some newfangled-looking earbuds out of the container--a charger, actually--and put one in each ear. Students have synced these with Bluetooth on their laptops, iphones or other electronic device so that they can listen without it being attached to wires. Very cool! These coveted devices sometimes hang from lanyards or fit nicely in pockets. Maybe these ubiquitous earbuds are not the newest technology anymore, and I'll probably splurge for a set of my own one day, but I'm still learning about them--from my middle schoolers. Did I forget anything students? If so, send a comment to let me know!

Scavenger Hunt

One of my classes of sixth grade students needed to get caught up on an assignment they missed due to time constraints in our schedule last week. They learned about lots of print resources in our library to use for conducting research. Many of these resources are older, but are still effective for searching for general information. On the other hand, some of these resources are new and up to date. The assignment was a collaborative "scavenger hunt" with several questions that needed to be answered using the books. It was wonderful to see students able to find the information they needed in the books. We are so quick to turn to the Internet with all of our questions when sometimes it is just as convenient and easy to grab an atlas, encyclopedia or almanac to learn about other people, places and things. The buzzing of their voices as they read to find the appropriate print resource and information to answer the questions

was music to my ears. Some students even veered from the topic at hand and browsed these nonfiction resources, learning random and interesting facts. It is my hope that these inquisitive sixth graders will return to the nonfiction section of our library and take the time to read more about a favorite topic, whether for research or just for fun.

Snowy Day!

It was snowing when my alarm woke me at 5 a.m. this morning. After two consecutive snow days last week, followed by the weekend, I was more than ready to head back to school to review content with my middle school students and to re-connect with colleagues. But, this winter weather was relentless. When my cell phone rang at about 5:15 a.m., Andy, our districts' Director of Transportation and one of my favorite voices to hear first thing on a snowy morning, announced that our schools would have a two-hour delay. This gave me an opportunity to finish reading the book I started last week and to do some cleaning that didn't get done over the weekend. The drive to school was a bit slower than usual and I arrived just before our students. The library was in full swing this morning! Lots of students were returning books and looking for recommendations for their next books. When my first group of students arrived, I took the opportunity to share with them a few more online resources they could use for research. Previously, I shared some subscription databases and demonstrated for them how to create their own accounts. Today, one of the free databases that I introduced them to was Digital Maine Library. Check it out. One of the most relevant and useful databases to be found in this vast collection is Novelist K-8. According to their description, it is "Created especially for children and the adults who work with them. It helps kids find books that are just right for their reading level and interests. Parents, teachers, and librarians can also find tools to teach with books and engage young readers." When students don't know what book they want to read next, they may experience a lag time in their reading or give up all together. I use this great tool often to show students how they can independently look for their next great book to read.