In this session, we will explore the power of no-tech makerspaces through the lens of a successful event held at our school last Spring. Participants will discover how to harness students' creativity, problem-solving skills, and collaboration abilities without relying on digital devices or strictly guided activities. This presentation will provide a step-by-step guide to organizing and implementing a no-tech makerspace showcase. Attendees will leave equipped with practical tools, innovative ideas, and a renewed appreciation for the importance of hands-on, screen-free learning experiences in developing 21st-century skills.
Science lit circles, a dynamic student-centered reading activity, are designed to ignite a passion for collaborative and independent reading and analysis of texts with science-related themes. These circles, typically involving small groups of students who choose and read the same book, foster lively discussions about the text, enhancing critical thinking and comprehension skills. Join a dynamic 8th-grade team that has harnessed the power of reading and science standards to create engaging cross-curricular activities using blended learning. Learn how they integrated these activities into science lit circles, collaborated with their media specialists, and fostered a team environment that celebrates reading and learning across the curriculum.
Does your Library Orientation make students snooze? Are you bored with it? How about injecting some fun gamification into your Library Orientation to get the students engaged with Library Skills? This session will focus on using the app, Goosechase, for making your Library an engaging and fun place to be! Can't use Goosechase? That's okay - I will provide my Canvas prototype for this fun, too, as well as other ideas and options for Goosechase modification. This game will make you popular with staff and students alike!
When I transferred to a high school media center three years ago, I knew very little about manga except that it was what the students wanted. In this session, I (Rachel) will discuss partnering with our school's resident manga expert (who's also an amazing math teacher!) to build my manga section and bring in reluctant readers who were not using the media center. We will also look at collection and circulation statistics, and I will discuss how I use those numbers to support funding requests for more books. Ramon will share his expertise in the books themselves, including what is age appropriate and popular, and what he has in his classroom library. We will provide participants with a "must buy" starter list to kick off your own manga section, as well as a complete list of all books we have selected for our media center.
