TARGET:Teaching Media Skills 8th grade

[Bev Nelson <bev.nelson@SPRINGGROVE.K12.MN.US>]

Hello all - I am struggling with a big problem I am having this year.  I am
the k-12 librarian for a school of about 550 students.  My duties include
the regular stuff all of you do and I teach a 45 minute section of 8th grade
daily for 1 semester and then teach the other section for the other
semester.  I begin with review of dewey and we talk about parts of books,
genres,  abridged reader's guide, etc. We just did a big lesson on reference
books.  I create questions for the reference books and the kids play Battle
of the Books by using their reference list.  Next quarter I plan to teach
all of our databases which include SIRS, Proquest, Electric Library, Poem
Finder,  and First Search.  In addition, I teach them how to use the
internet and we talk about legitimate sites, search engines, and search
directories, etc.  The BIG PROBLEM with this is that there is no curriculum.
I have had to develop it all alone since most of it is specific to my
school.  My questions is, is there any help out there?  I have had wonderful
students in the past but this group is dysfunctional with a capital D.   I
am just not getting through to them.  Is there a wonderful curriculum or
text out there that I could use?  I am envious of other classroom teachers
that have books and teacher's guides, etc.  Please let me know if you have
any  ideas - Thanks so very very much.
--
Beverly A. Nelson
Media Generalist
Spring Grove Public School
Spring Grove, MN   55974
507-498-3221
bev.nelson@springgrove.k12.mn.us

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