library Archives - So Blessed to Be a Teacher

Wacky Times! (and a freebie or two or three!)

Hi friends! I hope you are all doing all right during this crazy time. My school was among many that shut down suddenly and unexpectedly on the 13th of March, for a minimum of three weeks, in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, so, like many of you, I’m getting used to a new way of living.

Now, two days before the 13th, aka a million years ago, on Wednesday, March 11th, I was all super excited because my Teachers Pay Teachers store had reached 500 followers. I was planning a little celebration involving a new freebie, a sale, and maybe even a dance party, wahoo! That Wednesday, ideas bopped around happily in the little TpT section of my brain. But by Friday, the TpT part went into a temporary hibernation as I attempted to process the strange, new information that COVID-19 was so serious that my school closed. Oh, and not just mine, but basically all of them, and the entire world. Heh?

So I took a few days to adjust to this new lifestyle, and eventually decided I still want there to be a little celebration in the So Blessed to Be a Teacher world, because celebrations are happy and we all need happy right now. So, I modified my go-forward plan for how to celebrate my 500 followers. Here’s what I came up with.

1. I made the freebie that was bopping around my imagination on March 11. (It turned out cute, if I do say so myself! You can download it here). But it’s a poster to decorate your library, and, well, you probably aren’t there right now. So I decided that when you download it, you guys might feel the level of joy you’d get if you were receiving a free bucket of rock salt in July.

2. I made two MORE little freebies that can be used on Google Classroom. It was my first attempt at designing resources with distance learning in mind. I would love if you could try them out and tell me what you think! (They are available for FREE here and here).

THEN

3. I set up a GIVEAWAY for my 500 Teachers Pay Teachers followers! (Because giveaways are fun no matter what!) One lucky follower of my store will win a $10 gift card to Teachers Pay Teachers. If you follow me on TpT, check your Teachers Pay Teachers inbox for the link to enter the giveaway. (Don’t follow me yet but want to start? Click here to start following me on TpT, and then send me an email or use the contact link above to tell me your follower number, and I’ll send you the link to enter! The winner will be chosen at 12 AM Eastern Time on March 27, 2020.) (**UPDATED 03/27/20: Congratulations to Julieann, the giveaway winner! Be sure to follow my Teachers Pay Teachers store so you will hear about sales, new products, and my next GIVEAWAY!)

AND

4. I set everything in my TpT store to go on sale from March 22, 2020 to March 25, 2020. Even though school is closed for now, sales are always fun, and some teachers actually have a little time browse around on TpT, so I figured, why not? In the spirit of my last blog post, I am going to donate 50% of profits during my sale to Save the Children, this time to help out with all the needs that are arising due to COVID-19, so it’s actually a great time to stock up on resources that you can use when we are past this wacky period of time! (**UPDATED 03/27/20: Thanks so much to those who made purchases during my sale! Your purchases made it possible for me to make a donation to Save the Children! Yeah!)

AND FINALLY

5. The dance party is on, but, COVID-19 distance learning style. Right now, wherever you are, bust a move!

May God bless you guys during this strange-but-true time we are living in. Stay well and keep taking it day by day!

Two Freebies, a Sale, and a New School Year!

My last post was all about FREE products on TpT for your school library. (Go visit it if you would like to download 50+ freebies that you can use in the library!)

After writing that post, I decided I was due to add a couple of brand new freebies for school librarians to my own TpT store. And I’m going to be honest with you…I kind of like these freebies…a lot.

I’ve had some time over this summer to reflect on teaching and my place in it all, and my conclusion has been this: if I don’t help kids learn to be kind, loving, accepting, compassionate, and hungry for knowledge, not much else matters. Realistically, a lot of what our kids are learning is going into their short-term memory and is on its way out after it gets chicken-scratched onto a test. Who they are becoming will last the rest of their lives. (I know that I’m not the first one to come up with this idea, but I feel like during certain seasons of life as a teacher and a parent, you look at the big picture more…and I guess that’s where I am right now.)

With that in mind, I posted a free coloring page I developed for my own students when I read the book Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller to them last year. I didn’t put it up because I think the coloring page is that amazing, or anything like that, but because I really hope that other teachers and librarians will read this book with their students, or will take the time, for no particular reason, to talk about kindness. Like, often. And if one day the kids want to color a picture while that talk is going on, so be it.

The second freebie, which I literally JUST put up right before I’m writing this post, is a poster set that addresses the idea that libraries are for everyone and that there is something for everyone in the library. At the last TpT sale, I picked up some super cute clip art of gorgeous, diverse kids (by Illumismart), which got me thinking about the awesomeness of libraries and how they are a perfect place for ALL types of kids to gather and learn together. The knowledge, entertainment, technology, and enrichment available in libraries appeal to all groups of people and can benefit anyone. Kids might seek out libraries for different reasons, but libraries are spaces for everybody in a community to grow in knowledge. So I designed this poster set for school librarians, classroom teachers, public librarians, or anyone to download and print, hoping that it will help students with different abilities and backgrounds to feel welcome to learn and create at their library.

If you are interested in either of these freebies, please please please download them, and don’t hesitate to show them to a friend who might be able to use them too. (I don’t think we can overdo the ideas of kindness, acceptance, and loving libraries and learning!)

In other news, TpT is having a one-day bonus sale on Tuesday, August 20, 2019, until 11:59 ET, and you can get up to 25% off everything in my store and around Teachers Pay Teachers! (With the school year RIGHT around the corner, I have informed my son and daughter to keep a close eye on me to keep my spending under control! I guess we’ll see how it goes…I do have candy to distract them if necessary!)

Happy New School Year! Wishing you a new school year full of love, libraries, sale prices, kindness, free stuff, candy, enthusiasm for learning, and everything awesome!

_____________
Disclosure: The banner below is an affiliate link. If you click through and make a purchase, I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support of my blog!

Copyright Resources for Teachers and Librarians

This image is a derivative of a CC0 image courtesy of StartupStockPhotos on pixabay

The internet is overflowing with information and media. There is just SO much content out there, and much of it is just a few clicks away! As someone who remembers looking at documents on those old microform machines for my own school assignments, I am, frankly, a little jealous of today’s students. (However, I did get to say the word “microfiche” from time to time, and our students don’t, and it’s a pretty fun word to say. So there.)

The downside to so much information that is easy to access and free? It’s easy to access and free, so kids can forget that it does not belong to them. Just because you CAN copy and paste and download words, pictures, songs, and videos from the internet in less than 5 seconds doesn’t mean you should. And if you do, it does not mean they are YOURS.

On the other hand, all those words, pictures, songs, and videos ARE there to be read, seen, heard, and accessed, and some of them, such as those in the public domain, are even available for almost any type of use. As teachers and librarians, we want our kids to find and use information, and although we don’t want them to misuse others’ creations, we certainly don’t want them to be afraid of finding and using media and information. We want to help our students learn to synthesize information and create new content, all while being respectful of others who have also created content.

With the complex nuances of copyright law and the ever-changing nature of technology, helping kids with all that can be a daunting task. But, I figured I’d take a stab at helping you help them!

This image is a derivative of a CC0 image courtesy of rawpixel on pixabay

Below, you’ll find links to some resources you can use to help your students get on the right track when it comes to copyright issues.

Disclaimer: I am NOT an attorney, so I cannot attest to the accuracy and validity of any information that can be found on any of the websites/resources I’ve linked to below! At the time this post was published, these websites and resources provided information that, based on my experience as an educator, may be useful to teachers, librarians, and students.

Copyright and Creative Commons Resources for Educators

Common Sense Education – The Common Sense Education organization has created several fabulous videos and lesson plans that can help you teach your students about copyright, such as this Copyrights and Wrongs lesson – all available for free! That particular lesson was designed for high school students, but it could be adapted for middle schoolers, and there are other lessons for younger students on the site as well. (You do need to create an account to access these lessons, but it’s easy and free, and there is bunch of other cool digital citizenship stuff there too that you might be able to use!)
Copyright Kids – Copyrightkids.org, created by the Copyright Society of the USA, is a kid-friendly site that kids can use to explore basic information about copyright law. In the past, I have asked students to visit the site to learn some background info on copyright and then take the Copyright Challenge. I would love to see the site make some updates, since I haven’t noticed any changes in the 5+ years I have been using it, but overall there seems to be a lot of useful information that kids are able to understand.
Taking the Mystery Out of Copyright – This resource, available on the Library of Congress website, shares great info on copyright geared for children, including an interesting (well…interesting for geeks like me) timeline of the history of copyright.
Copyright Term and Public Domain in the United States – Cornell University – When your students already have a basic understanding of what “public domain” is, this chart by Cornell University’s Copyright Information Center can be used to help students determine whether works are part of the public domain.
CC0 image, courtesy of JaneMarySnyder on Pixabay
Teaching Copyright – TeachingCopyright.org is a project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and it provides teachers with five lesson plans and other resources that you can use to educate your students about copyright.
Creative Commons – Hit up CreativeCommons.org to give your students the basics on Creative Commons right from the source. I enjoy this flow chart available there that breaks down the different types of Creative Commons licenses.
Can I Use That? A Guide to Creative Commons – This resource by Gail Desler clarifies questions you and your students might have about use of images with Creative Commons licenses. It’s very thorough, and as you read it, you’ll find links to many other fantastic resources that will add to your understanding of copyright.
Finding Copyright-Friendly Photos for the Google Images Generation – This article by Kathy Schrock can be found in eSchool News, and it’s an awesome introduction to helping kids find photos to use in their school projects. It has a great overview of Creative Commons and also provides links to some sites that have free images that students can use in their schoolwork. (If you are still looking for more lessons and resources related to Creative Commons and copyright, Kathy Schrock has compiled a monster list of these types of resources on her website, Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything.)

I hope all those links will help you get started in the tricky task of teaching kids about copyright!

(By the way, the photos used in this post are thanks to the generous photographers out there who upload their photos with a CC0 mark onto pixabay.com – a website that just so happens to be another great place to visit when discussing copyright and Creative Commons!)

Ten Terrific Read Alouds for Kids in Kindergarten!

(Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links, so if you click through and make a purchase, I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you.)

I love kindergarten! It seems like every year, the kindergarten kids have the most enthusiasm and energy of any of the classes, AND they obviously win the “cute” award, so I always look forward to that library class. (It also doesn’t hurt that the fantastic kindergarten assistant visits the library with the class to help keep them in line!)

It is always very obvious which read aloud stories are hits with the kindergarteners and which books aren’t their favorites. Keeping twenty five-year-olds engaged during read aloud time can be a tall order…EXCEPT when I’m reading one of these books to them!

Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas

We might as well start with this high energy book for your high energy students! The kids love this because A) it’s silly B) it’s cute and C) I let them jump around during the story. (How can you read the line, “Jump up and down on chicken’s sofa!” and make the kids stay still?)

Is Everyone Ready for Fun?

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

This one is fun, AND it’s a perfect start to a library behavior and etiquette lesson. After I read this story, we talk about shelf markers, and taking on the role of the pigeon, I ask the kids if I can do a bunch of things with my shelf marker that I clearly should not do. The kids, who are now used to responding “NO!” when the pigeon asks about driving the bus, continue to yell “NO!” after each of silly questions I ask about what I can do with my shelf marker. (Me: Should I pretend my shelf marker is a hat? Kids: NO! Me: Can I swing it around? Kids: NO! Me: Just ONE swing-er-oo? Kids: NO!) Soooo much fun!

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

The Caterpillar and the Polliwog by Jack Kent

The kids will love this story about a caterpillar and a polliwog growing up and changing! This one is perfect for spring. (And…we’re finally getting there! Spring is in sight! Yay!)

The Caterpillar and the Polliwog

Please, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony

Here is another really cute story, and it emphasizes the importance of being polite and using manners. Last year’s kindergarten class voted it one of their most favorite read alouds! (If your students like this one, you could also try out a few other adorable stories about Mr. Panda, including I’ll Wait, Mr. Panda and Thank You, Mr. Panda.)

Please Mr Panda

SCHOOL PRODUCTS SUPER SALE! SAVE $10 OFF ANY ORDER OF $50 OR MORE! Plus Get Free Shipping On Orders

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett

This book is more fun than a barrel full of an undisclosed number of monkeys! It has interactive moments built right into the story, so it will keep your kids on the edge of their carpet squares.

Count The Monkeys

Leon the Chameleon by Melanie Watt

Here we have the story of little Leon the Chameleon, who always turns a different color from all the other chameleons (which makes him feel sad in the beginning of the story, but turns out to be a very good thing in the end). You can use this story as a springboard for talking about what it is like to feel different, and how our differences make us unique.

Leon the Chameleon

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

With Dr. Seuss’s birthday right around the corner, I had to include my favorite Dr. Seuss classic in this list of read alouds! It’s the best book ever written with fifty words or less!

Green Eggs and Ham

Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk

As a school librarian, when I find a book that kids love AND it takes place in the library, I know I have a winner! Library Mouse is the story of a mouse who lives in a library and writes books at night, so it even inspires kids to become authors!

Library Mouse

A Pet for Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold

My students enjoy the Fly Guy books we have in our library, and this one is my choice for the best read aloud in the bunch, mostly because it is larger than the others so everyone can see the pictures! The kids love this story of Fly Guy’s quest for a pet.

A Pet for Fly Guy

You Will Be My Friend! by Peter Brown

This is the story of one day when Lucille Beatrice Bear decides that she WILL make a new friend, right then and there. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t go well at first. This one inspires A LOT of giggling!

YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND! (Starring Lucille Beatrice Bear, 2)

I hope my list gave you some new ideas that you can share with your students. What are your favorite books to read to kindergarten kids? Feel free to add some more suggestions in the comments!

Disclosure: The banner below is an affiliate link. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive compensation at no additional cost to you.

The (FREE!) Review Game That My Students Beg Me to Play!

Kids can be pretty tough critics these days when it comes to educational games, so when I found a (free!) online game that my students love, I had to share! Kahoot is by far my students’ favorite way to review any school library lesson! (And it can be used in ANY subject area!)

How it Works

It’s unbelievably easy to get going with Kahoot. You just go to kahoot.com, set up a teacher account (free and no hassles!), and are ready to roll.

A little info you should know before we go farther: Kahoot is usually played as a whole class game. In an ideal setup, you will project the Kahoot questions on a smartboard and each child will participate by entering answers on an individual tablet, phone, or laptop. There are ways around having a device for each child, but the idea is that everyone is engaged in and participating in the same game at the same time.

So to set the scene…as soon as you start a Kahoot review game, your class starts jamming out to the fun, groovy soundtrack it plays. First, the kids will need to sign in by entering a pin on their devices that will appear on the big screen. Once everyone has signed in, a question (which could be supplemented with diagrams or graphics if you choose) will pop up on the big screen. On the bottom of the screen, up to four answer choices will appear.

The kids’ devices show four colored squares which correspond with the four answer choices on the big screen.

The children try to select the correct answer as quickly as possible and receive points for the correct response, and once everyone has answered, the big screen displays a leaderboard so the kids can keep track of who is earning the most points. The kids have each picked a “Nickname” to display in the leaderboard…which, of course, adds to the fun.

How to Prep for Your First Kahoot Session

The first step is to find or create a Kahoot quiz for your students to play. There are eleventy jillion Kahoots already out there, so it’s possible that someone else has already created a Kahoot that you can use for your students. With a quick search on site, you can find out.

If you find one that is sort of what you are looking for, but not quite, one fantastic feature is the “Duplicate” function.

This makes a copy of someone else’s Kahoot and then allows you to add and subtract as much as you would like until the Kahoot is perfect for your class. If you’d prefer to start from scratch, just click on “New K!”

and then “Quiz” and the Kahoot site will guide you through the lovely and simple process of creating your own Kahoot quiz.

Why It’s Such a Hit

The game allows for a competitive but not TOO competitive atmosphere as kids work to make it on the leaderboard. The kids’ made-up nicknames (which, don’t worry, are censored by the game!) and the funky, video-gamey music help cultivate a vibe that is relaxed and fun. And possibly the best feature is the way the game has been designed to force the whole group to look up at the big screen. Each student participates individually, but it’s a group experience, and in my classes, EVERYONE actually wants to participate and be a part of the fun.

How Teachers Are Really Using Kahoot

Kahoot can easily be used to review any subject area, and educators are utilizing it from kindergarten on up. From second grade spelling to high school physical education, the game can be customized to meet the needs of different students across the grades. In my library classes, I have used it in grades 2-5 to review information about the Dewey Decimal system, the Caldecott Award, MLA Citations, and more.

In addition to functioning as a way to review facts or concepts, Kahoot can also be used to introduce new concepts, as explained here in the Kahoot blog’s post about “blind kahoots.” I haven’t tried this method of Kahooting yet, but I’m looking forward to giving it try at some point.

The “Survey” function of Kahoot adds even more possibilities. When you want to collect data about student understanding or opinions without making it a competition, you can use Kahoot to set up survey questions. For the school-library-dwellers like me, this allows for creative possibilities like the March Madness-style book tournament that Erin from Erintegration explains in her blog. Fun fun!

What Might Go Wrong…and How to Fix It

Okay, so literally nothing out there has a 100% approval rating, and even though it’s pretty fabulous, a few of your kids might raise some objections to Kahoot. Here are a few things to watch out for and some ideas for how to combat them:

Getting kicked out. I have had a couple of situations where some kind of sneaky internet glitch has caused a student’s Kahoot game to go kablooey. Creating a quick partnership between the kicked out kid and a neighbor usually does the trick better than trying to fix the error.
Too much pressure. While I think the game does a nice job of creating a FRIENDLY competition, the ticking clock sound and time limits could be a bit anxiety-provoking for some of your kiddos. Turning the sound off could help, and a sneak peek at the Kahoot or a rundown of some of the questions could be a reasonable accommodation for kids who need it. I also highly enjoy the “Team Mode” of play, which gives the kids a couple of seconds of processing time before the counter starts so that they can, theoretically, discuss the answer choices with team members. During the last couple of times I have used Kahoot, I put it on Team Mode and allowed students to decide whether they wanted to work alone or with a buddy.
Image courtesy of Kahoot.com
Bad sportsmanship. I definitely recommend reminding kids about how to be good competitors before beginning the game. Emphasize that this is just a FUN way to review and learn, and be proactive about sharing your expectations for appropriate behavior during a Kahoot. If you think Kahoot is a tool you might use regularly, you could work with your students to come up with a Code of Conduct to be used during Kahoot time so that everyone understands the dos and don’ts of Kahoot etiquette (Kahootiquette, if I may) in your class (sorry…but c’mon, it was right there!).

It’s Time to Get Kahooting!

If you haven’t tried this fantastic tool, how about giving it a go now in preparation for the school year? Whether you are a Kahoot newbie or have been using it in your class for a while, feel free to add a note in the comments to let me know how you like it!