Category Archives: General

General, School Media Specialist

Alternatives to Round Robin & Popcorn Reading

 

cori_middle_school_reading
Help students become better readers

 

Wondering if Round Robin and Popcorn styles are really the best practice when it comes to working on reading in the classroom? This article from Edutopia takes a look at the traditional Round Robin style of reading out loud and offers some alternative practices.

Round Robin reading is defined in the same article as students reading “orally from a common text, one child after another, while the rest of the class follows along in their copies of the text.” Popcorn style is a type of Round Robin reading, where one student is reading aloud, then says “Popcorn” before choosing another student to continue reading.

Author Todd Finley makes the argument that when it comes to improving literacy and encouraging kids to read, the Round Robin style may not be the best approach. He shares several studies and their findings that Round Robin may have a negative effect on students and their reading progress.

Happily, the article includes 11 better approaches for you to try instead! A few of them include:

  • Choral reading: The teacher and class read passages or paragraphs out loud together, which reduces potential embarassment for struggling readers
  • Teacher read-aloud: The teacher shows how proper pronunciation and inflection are used while reading
  • Buddy reading: Students read out loud to prepare for reading to children in a younger grade

Do you use Round Robin or Popcorn style reading? How about any of the 11 alternatives? What have you found works the best in your library or classroom?

 

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

32 of the world's most gorgeous libraries

Vancouver_Public_Library_Atrium
Another beautiful library, the Vancouver Public Library

In case you are looking for some travel inspiration, or just want to feast your eyes on some beautiful architecture, check out this article from the BookBub blog that highlights 32 of the world’s most beautiful libraries. The list is diverse with the libraries that are included, with designs that range from Baroque to extremely modern. It’s interesting to see the various influences that have impacted the libraries’ designs – many are theological, some have been influenced by nature, or the history of their location. In the article, each photo features a short description that discusses the uniqueness of each library. Here are some samples:

  • The very first library profiled is the Abbey Library of St. Gall in Switzerland. It’s a World Heritage site and also contains the earliest known architectural plan, written on parchment!
  • The impressive Kansas City Central Library in Missouri is number thirteen on the list. It’s easy to tell the function of the building from the outside, since one of the walls features huge paintings of the spines of 22 different books! Each book is twenty-five feet high and nine feet wide.
  • Take a look at the Tianyi Pavilion Library in China at number twenty-seven on the list. It’s the oldest private library in Asia! The tranquility of the location is very obvious. The library is next to a lake and surrounded by gardens.

It’s so hard to choose a favorite, but I think the libraries in Austria are especially breathtaking. Which one(s) would you like to visit in person?

 

 


	

	
	




	
	

				

			General, School Media Specialist
		

			
AASL Recommended App: Organization & Management: OneNote

		

			 		

	


		

		
one_noteIn June 2016, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their 25 Best Apps for Teaching and Learning. The apps encourage qualities such as innovation and active participation, and are user-friendly.


OneNote is an organizational app designed for note-taking. It has pages and tabs just like a physical notebook, but also allows users to record audio, make comments on existing text, and capture images. The app can easily transfer between platforms like desktops, tablets, and mobile devices. Educators can create notebooks to share assignments and feedback with students.


This article from MakeUseOf gives ten tips (including several helpful videos) on how to effectively use the OneNote app, both for teachers and students. Author Saikat Basu has also written an another article detailing how helpful OneNote can be in everyday life, outside of the classroom. Looking for more examples of OneNote success stories? Check out the OneNote education blog.


Cost: Free

Level: Elementary, Middle, and High School

Platforms: iOS and Android

	

	
	




	
	

				

			Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special
		

			
CMLE Featured Service: Scholarships!

		

			 		

	


		

		
273/365: 09/30/2013. Money, Money, Money!
Apply for a CMLE Scholarship


 


Did you know that CMLE offers scholarships? Since our main priority is helping libraries be successful, we know that sometimes additional money is required to make that happen! We want to help you get the professional development you need in order to bring some new ideas or skills to your library or media center.


CMLE offers scholarships of up to $200 per fiscal year per individual for staff affiliated with any type of library in Aitkin, Benton, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright counties in Central Minnesota. The scholarships can be used to attend workshops, conferences, library meetings or task forces, and other library-related activities to promote engagement and/or professional development. We encourage you to use the scholarships even if it can’t cover all of the costs. And, if you use our scholarship to help with costs, tell your administrator that you have used our program!


Keep in mind that two great library and technology conferences are quickly approaching: the annual MLA conference from September 29 – 30th in Duluth and the ITEM conference from October 13 – 15th in Brooklyn Park!


Whether it’s a conference, workshop, a way to learn new skills or teach others, being able to interact with your peers can be a great way to increase your energy and excitement about the library world. CMLE wants to help our members and their libraries or media centers continue to learn and grow. For full details, see our Scholarships Page for our easy (really, we promise!) application.


Need ideas for professional development? See our Continuing Education Page or visit the MN Library Continuing Education Calendar.

	

	
	




	
	

				

			Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special
		

			
Notable Date to Celebrate: September 25th is Shel Silverstein's birthday

		

			 		

	


		

		
You probably already know that at CMLE, we offer a service called “Notable Dates for your Noggin” which feature special holidays and birthdays of authors, as well as publications of well-known books. In an effort to help you get more from this service, we’ve decided to select one “Notable Date” each month to feature. We will include a few fun programming and activity ideas too, all for you to use!


where-the-sidewalk-ends


September 25th is Shel Silverstein’s birthday. Silverstein is well known for his children’s literature, poetry, and music. You can listen to him read his poem Backward Bill here, and even subscribe to the Shel Silverstein YouTube channel for more content.



If you are looking for some biographical information on Silverstein, check out this article from LibraryPoint.org which talks about his life and also gives some fast facts about the writer, including that he won a Grammy award in 1969 for A Boy Named Sue performed by Johnny Cash.


Love The Giving Tree? Celebrate by making some Giving Tree apple cupcakes!


Make math more fun with these poetry inspired activities.


Get creative and pick your favorite Shel Silverstein poem to draw some accompanying illustrations! 


Want more Shel Silverstein activities or information? Check out this website for wallpapers, e-cards, and lesson plans.


 


scroll-307485_960_720


Looking for more fun holidays or days to celebrate? Check out our Notable Dates Page!