Library Media Tech Talk

This program was created by Mrs. Heather Slay (10th Grade English), Mrs. Misti Bell (Library Media Specialist), and Mrs. Peggy Schaeffer (Library Assistant). Mrs. Slay wanted to create a program in the Library Media Center that would bring the culture of Africa to our school learning community. We had several meetings to plan this large event. The students had read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe as a class. It was decided this would be a two day event. The first day featured a parent guest speaker (Dr. Igbokidi) who also happened to be from Nigeria. She shared information with the students about the culture and traditions of her home country. She addressed the entire 10th grade class during a special lunch program in the auditorium. The second day was conducted in the Library Media Center. We had several different learning stations (each focused on a different part of African culture). African Tribal Masks (created by our Art Club). This was a student led stati...

Debates in the Library Media Center This project was designed by our 9th Grade Civics teachers (Mrs. Linda White and Mr. Joe Hobbs). Curriculum connection : More student-led projects are needed to emphasize college and career readiness expectations (CCR/CCSS). Students need to improve skills in critical and analytical thinking, social and oral communications, and multi-faceted research. Our goal is to improve student engagement (Domain 3c) by challenging students through the use of collaborations between Civics classes, using such vehicles as debates on current issues.  Actions : Meetings were scheduled to plan the debates. Civics teachers and Library Media Specialists were included in all meetings. Current event topics were considered, discussed, and a ballot was developed for students to vote on the top three issues of choice. We involved the community by inviting two school board members to participate: one as a moderator, the other to discuss law and arguing cases in...

This is a collaborative library program created by our 9th Grade English Teachers (Mrs. Linda McInvale and Mr. Blake Campbell). Related to our Curriculum: "Gettysburg Address" (PowerPoint on slavery), To Kill a Mockingbird (Jim Crow Laws & legal injustice of the 1930s), Warriors Don't Cry (integration of Little Rock Central, 1957), and " I Have a Dream. " General Description: 2 days - 8 stations - students were allotted 12 minutes per station. PowerPoint on slavery, Jim Crow, and Civil Rights Movement was displayed on large library projector screen with 1960's music playing in the background. Student groups were divided using cards with 1960s issues. Teachers wore 1960s t-shirts. Students were given a handout of questions to answer at each station. Station 1: Hallway outside library: timeline from first slaves in 1620 to present day. Station 2: Library Television: YouTube video on Little Rock Nine. Station 3: iPads: changing demogr...

This was a collaborative project created by 9th Grade English teachers (Mrs. Linda McInvale and Mr. Blake Campbell). They used the library as a staging area for the event. They had read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury in all classes and focused on the following concepts: dangers of advancing technology, interactive television, focus on selling, everything without value, manipulation of the masses by media, an essay on how Bradbury's predictions have come true in our culture. They completed a research paper in which students had to take a side and prove a point: persuasive writing appeals, they created an advertising PowerPoint using propaganda techniques, they evaluated programs on current television, they also searched for grammar mistakes in ads and discovered what television and media are really telling us. The connection to their Odyssey  and Mythology Unit: Students had to present a commercial following the Ad day program. The commercial had to be based on a my...