LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Here is part 2 with more narrative comments:
--Check second-hand shops & junk outlets for tools that used to be in
common usage but which are not longer used in most homes -- e.g., butter
churn, shoe horn, hand-held & operated egg beater, sad irons (the kind
you heated on the stove), mustache cup, razor strop, a button hook, etc.
--I have a photograph album about myself, my life and my family. =A0I put it=
=20
together as an ABC book. =A0A shows me as an Aunt, B as a baby, etc. =A0Q sh=
ows =20
having "Quality time" hanging spoons on our noses in the Bahamas! and Z show=
s=20
my youngest son zonked at the airport. =A0The kids love seeing me at all=20
different kinds of stages in my life...my family, and the things I like to =20
do. =A0They especially like all the different hair styles!
*The tornado in a bottle. You can either buy the connector that fits betwee=
n=20
two pop bottles and you can turn them to make a tornado or a small jar that=20
has a tornado in it. I bought these at the Discovery Store or Nature=20
Company. (not calming but FUN!)
*My favorite new 'fascinating thing' is a sort of hologram. I ordered
it fromthe National Geographic gift catalog after seeing it at a friends.=20
It's sort of two saucer forms on top of each other with an inner mirrored=20
surface inside. The top saucer is upside down and has a hole in the top. Whe=
n=20
you put a small object in the bottom saucer it reflects it up to the top and=
=20
looks so REAL but when you go to touch it it isn't really there! It is great=
=20
fun. It's about $30 or $35 and an additional cost for shipping.
--If you have the ability to take photos, why not backlight a few objects,
take pictures of the silhouettes, print them out, and have the students
guess what the real objects are... you may have the real objects under the
counter to show them after all the guessing is complete... that should be
fun, eh? You might use some of the objects you had on display all week...
Friday could be silhouette day and the images are some of the items you had=20
on display M ~ F. . .
--Look more closely at picture books. Today I read =93The Wind Blew=94 by Pa=
t=20
Hutchins. A kite, a windsock, or wind chimes would have been great with that=
=20
book. When I read =93Moses Goes to a Concert =93, I used pictures of sign=20
language, a balloon, and a percussion instrument. =20
--It all started with a gift my wife gave me that I hated. It was a device
shaped like a space ship with a magnet on the back and (if you turned them
on) flashing red lights. The little space ship swung over a magnet on the
end of a wire. I didn't want to hurt my wife's feelings so I decided to
take it to school and bury it in a cupboard. When I got it there, some of
the students saw it and refused to let me hide it. - Go figure. So I have=20
branched out. I now have a small traffic light that flashes on and off all=20
day, a batch of rubber items that look like to fingers all lumped together,=20=
a=20
small plastic (4" by 3") device with nails in it that students can use to=20
capture shapes [these things must have a name] and my latest addition which=20
is a disk about 5" in diameter that has a raised point so it will spin. Then=
=20
it has a design on it that looks like it is pulling you into it. I purchase=
d=20
it at "Natures Wonders" store at the local mall. The students really enjoy=20
these objects and I am now known as the teacher with the fun stuff on his=20
desk.
--a small (2 1/2 - 3" high) snowglobe featuring our theme at the checkout=20
desk. Everyone K - 8 loves to shake them. This month I've had one with a=20
rabbit. When shaken, carrots rain down. Assorted sea shells and other=20
beachcombed items are always popular as well.
--Different state stones. Michigan's is a Petoskey stone. It's a fossil an=
d=20
most people find them very interesting to look at. small ones are very chea=
p=20
in our rock stores. There must be other interesting stones available. I=20
think tiger eyes are reasonable too.
--I recently put a large "basket gourd" on my desk, the kids were amazed at=
=20
how light it was and its unusual odor--it was pretty neat about 28 inches=20
around.
--I am really into rubber stamping, and paper art. I have little folded=20
boxes, boxes with pull out words like "read" and a picture of a bee and the=20
word "nice". Little gadgets like a rubic cube and art from the students, wor=
d=20
cubes.
--I just came back from Holbrook, AZ and the Petrified Forest National Park.=
=20
While there I bought LOTS of petrified wood. I have the card of the place=20
where I bought it, I know he ships the stuff. Also, what about sea shells?
I bought my petrified wood at:
Jim Gray's Petrified Wood Company
Box 239
Holbrook, AZ 86025
Phone: (520) 524-1842
Fax: (520) 524-6866
egpetwood@aol.com
I am going to read Dinosaur Tree by Douglas Henderson and pass around my
newly acquired petrified wood samples. I can hardly wait. Vacations are=20
wonderful for refreshing those stale brain cells!
=20
Some of the best ideas of all were to involve the faculty and community.
--How about just asking your faculty to remember the library this summer as=
=20
they travel around the country? I bet they'd love to contribute -in fact, i=
t=20
could be fun just looking!=20
--I ask the parents and teachers to add to my realia collection. I've put=20
the related things in boxes: ie: rocks, Indians of No. America, Middle Ages,=
=20
etc. I have a nice collection and it travels to the classroom when teachers=
=20
are focussing on a theme. My surprise was as an island we didn't have=20
conglomerate rocks or sedementary so I had to rely on the donations of=20
others. Try it, buying into your library will connect the patrons in a very=
=20
positive way.
--I also have a display case that teachers and students are allowed to=20
display their "collections" in. You can't believe what we get in!
--You might also have teachers contribute interesting artifacts from their
classrooms... for display or for photographing...
My original ideas:
ROMP's magnet set from the Nature Store (magnets on base & pendulum magnet)
Amethysts from Thunder Bay
Pottery vase from Mexico (palm size)
Puppet 3 Blind Mice in a present box
mini battery-operated fans
smooth and rough rocks
Chinese objects galore!
German clock
my son's Tacofish pottery projects
Clifford stamps with red ink (they stamp their hands so teacher knows they
have checked out at the beginning of the year in K-1)
Zen garden with sand & rakes
Chiming Massage balls & lots of stress relievers
President dolls
4 " high metal knights from Germany
dancing dolls for holidays with music to dance with the day before holiday
puppets and dolls like the armadillo & the cockroach
Race cars & hotwheels next to a photo of my son in grandpa's racecar
sandalwood fans
beanie babies like the Penguin so we can play Emperor Penguin while in line
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST, etc.) send email to:
listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER:
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
4) SET LM_NET MAIL * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv.
For LM_NET Help see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
Archives: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.shtml
See also EL-Announce for announcements from library media vendors:
http://www.mindspring.com/~el-announce/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
LM_NET
Mailing List Home