Fultondale Elementary School Library

 Digital Communication Scenario

Mrs. Baxter, a language arts teacher, explores new, innovative ways for students to write essays in class. She finds a Web site that describes how teachers can use blogs to help students post their thoughts and ideas on the Web. She decides to set up a blog for her students.

Inappropriate. Mrs. Baxter tells her students to navigate to her blog Web siteand record their ideas. She describes the assignment as diary-like writing. After a couple of days, she finds inappropriate postings (e.g., discussions of boyfriendsand girlfriends), but she cannot identify the authors. After a week, she shuts down the blog and decides that blogging was a bad idea.

Appropriate. Mrs. Baxter speaks to her class about the process of blogging.She illustrates examples of suitable comments and emphasizes the importanceof appropriate use. After a couple of weeks, the students are responding almost every day, and they are coming to class with more in-depth questions that relateto concepts being discussed in class.

What could make a difference. Teachers need to research the use of technology before using it in their classroom. Just hearing about something that someone else has used in class does not always mean that it will work. Teachers should check around and ask questions about what the technology can and can’t do.

Please comment on ways you want to use blogs in your classroom

Rules for November Family Reading Month 

We are striving in the month of November to have 100% participation in Family Reading Month.  100% participation simply means every child in the school reads 1 book or reads a book with an adult.   This month we are offering an incentive!!!!   

1. The class from K-2 and 3-6 that has 100% participation and the most books read by November 30^th will receive a slumber party in the library one Friday in December with snacks and movies. 
2. The teacher will only have to take them to lunch.  The rest of the day is yours by yourself!!!!!!
3. The students from the winning classes will be allowed to wear pajamas and bring sleeping bags/pillows on that day. 
4. Each teacher can keep track of the reading total in whatever way they choose.  I only need a total of the books read at the end of the month.  Books read with a teacher or guest reader do count as one book for the class reading total.  Keep the reading logs so that you have proof that they did read how many books to put down on the final count.
5. I encourage you to invite guest readers frequently throughout the month.  You may get parents and grandparents to read daily.  You may also get community leaders, Jefcoed employees, and other individuals to come read anytime during this month.  Just let Mrs. Poe know who is scheduled to come. 
6. Please do not simply rely on Accelerated Reader for this.  Students may read books out of their level.  The goal is to simply have them reading for enjoyment!!!  Classes that have won in the past read all levels of books.  Older students can count reading to younger brothers and sisters as well.  Please make this fun for the kids!!!!  You may want to suspend counting AR points until November is over. 
7. Please let me know if there are any other activities you would like to have this month. 

Currently, 4-6 graders are completing Internet mysteries.  They have to research facts of make-believe suspects to figure out who is guilty.  Whoever is giving false information is the one who committed the crime.  I made a website of bookmarks for students to use to research information.  This website also has other useful websites for K-6 grades.  Please visit it at http://www.mybookmarks.com/public/FESlibrary.  You can also make your own bookmarks page at www.mybookmarks.com. 

Chris Rumble will be visiting us on October 31st.  I will be giving you the information for your students to order CD’s or books next week.  You can visit his website at www.chrisrumble.com.  The schedule will be as follows:  2-3: 12:30-1:15, 4-6: 1:15-2:00, K-1: 2:00-2:30 in the amphitheater.  The books and CD’s are in the library to preview. 

Visit the blog regularly to find out what is going on in the library and what is upcoming like author visits and book fairs.  You can post comments anytime to remind me of things and ask questions.