Hi Sarah,
I'm a middle school librarian in Rhode Island and have taught several Library
Literacy and Computer Literacy classes last year after our school became a grade 6
only. This year, it's going to be a grade 5/6 school, so things are always
changing!
I taught a lot of research-ended skills using both the computer and print
materials. Last year, I took a two-week technology training and was awarded an
interactive whiteboard similar to the Smartboard. I've used it to demonstrate
bogus vs. true websites, website evaluation, the 2010 Census with games on its
website, etc. It would be great for author studies, online reading, and also book
talks! The students love the hands-on experience using the whiteboard.
This year, I would like to start a blog or wiki with the students focusing on
books, authors and themes. When my kids have computer skills classes, I would
like them to develop a Photostory project based on a favorite book of theirs or
their year in 6th grade to give them additional technology enrichment.
One of the aspects of our grade 6 library curriculum is Internet safety. We have
used iSafe in the past but the district didn't renew the license; instead, they
hoped we could explore other programs at a lesser cost for the district. So, we
have looked at Netsmartz and others. Internet safety is critical at this age
because a lot of our kids have Facebook and Myspace accounts (even though they're
supposed to be at least 13 years old!) as well as unlimited texting on their
cellphones. I teach a lot with regard to cyberbullying, staying safe on the web,
and even access Facebook in school (with permission, of course!) to show the
students how to set privacy options. They tell me they appreciate this. A final
lesson of Internet safety is taught by a local police officer who teaches the kids
about staying safe from Internet predators. He has a Powerpoint presentation that
he uses and goes into a lot of situations that the kids may encounter and how to
avoid them. This is really popular with the kids.
A great website to get the kids interacting and writing online is Tweentribune
(http://www.tweentribune.com), which is a FREE site for tweens to read and post
comments about current events. You would simply sign up, create an account and
then set up a classroom for your students to create accounts in using first name
only/password. Then, the students can read the stories and submit comments. You
would get these comments first for editing and proofreading for appropriateness,
then submit them for publication. The students LOVE to see their comments in print!
Hope the above ideas help you. Best of luck this coming school year.
Liz Soltysiak
Teacher Librarian
Broad Rock Middle School
351 Broad Rock Road
Wakefield, RI 02879
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