Here I Go Again!

Because life is not busy enough or exciting enough or whatever enough, it is time again to embark on the next big venture!

Drumroll please....I applied for, and received, an Education Foundation of Baltimore County grant for a research project with my 3rd through 5th graders.  We will be studying the past and present of our community and making predictions about the future. Also known as authentic research based learning.

Specifically, the 3rd graders will be creating a visual timeline of our community's past using images from our school archives and community archives.

My 4th graders will be making predictions about the future of our community.

And, lastly, the 5th graders are going to be conducting oral videotaped histories of our community.

Oh, and did I mention that this all has to be completed by May?  Piece of cake! (which may be the only part of the cake left after I finish my stress eating)

So far since the beginning of 2017, I have:

-met with the amazing Fran Glick (Office of ODL), Alex Wolf (also ODL) and my principal to discuss technology needs and implementation and timeline
-met with Amy Farrell (librarian at Sparrows Point Middle School) to plan how the middle school can help with 5th grade editing of interviews
-attended the Sparrows Point High School Alumni Association meeting to get their support and approval to use their archive center to gather materials (oh...and I became a lifetime member of the alumni association but, proudly, did not volunteer to complete any additional projects - YAY ME! Although I may attend more meetings because I dearly do love being the youngest person in a room-made me feel like I was fresh out of high school!)
-arranged to speak at the North Point Peninsula Council Meeting on February 2nd
-gave the amazing Mrs. Brewin (my first every library volunteer!) a contact list for boxes (you will read more about these in a bit)
-ordered our new TV studio equipment to be used for the interviews (yipee!)
-met with Geri Otto from the Office of Social Studies to see what type of support her office may be able to provide
-arranged for Mindy Basara (reporter from WBALTV) to bring a camera man and speak to the 5th graders about interviewing (thanks to my principal Jennifer Lynch for arranging this awesome opportunity)
-ordered official reporter notebooks for 4th and 5th graders (shhh---there are just bulk mini notepads from Staples but they are super excited!)

-arranged to visit the high school archives and meet with a historian at the Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society and Museum to see if they have resources they can offer for our project

Student Progress So Far:

3rd Grade - Given project overview and beginning to explore school archive photos

4th grade - read overviews of 5 geographical areas in our community and completed a Google Doc indicating their preferences.  As a whole, they voted that they wanted to have representation of all 5 geographical areas in all of the 4th grade classes rather than each class having 1 or 2 groups that the other classes know nothing about. Students signed up for Edmodo groups for their assigned area and completed their first postings.  Side note - they were thrilled to see that our assistant principal, Mr. Winaker, had posted in their groups!

5th grade - began to learn about questioning and interviewing techniques

To Do:

You know what, I have not the time to list the pages and pages of notes I have.  Just take my word for it and know that every time I cross something off, I add 2 more things.  I promise to type up a list to give you a future peek in a future post.

Until then...enjoy!

Al Roker and I Should Be BFFs!

I have been writing this post in my mind for well over a month.  I keep thinking "Today's the day I sit down and type" and time keeps rapidly progressing.  I have a SUPER HUMONGOUS PROJECT this Spring that I will share more about in a future post because I need to document the process and this is the best way for me to do it.

Anyway...on to my mind ramblings about Al Roker - my unknown BFF.

Let me start by saying that I watch the TODAY show every morning while I am getting ready for work.  I have spent my mornings with Matt, Katie, Savannah, Meredith and Al.  (I love them all and have this reoccurring fantasy that involves me being asked to hang out with them for a day!)

But today is all about AL!  Al is like the librarian of the Today show :-)  I know...I know...you think I have lost my mind.  But bear with me and you will see the genius.

Al's role is weatherman.  He is supposed to get 3-5 minutes each hour to tell us what to expect weatherwise and then send it off to the local station for a look at "what's happening in our neck of the woods." If something runs over, Al gets cut.

Librarians, particularly in elementary schools, get 50 minutes to do a lesson, book check in and book check out. If a meeting, that a librarian is supposed to present at, runs long then the librarian gets cut.

But Al is soooooo much more than a weatherman.  Let's look closer.

Al is arguably the most techy of all the Today show gang. He tweets and snaps and instagrams and vines was the first on the show to do so. He has the cool phone and the cool techy toys. Librarians are the most techy people in the school. We guide the rest of our school into the 21st century whether they want to be there of not!

But Al is much, much more than a weatherman. Al cooks!  He does cooking segments and even has written a cookbook (or two).  Librarians help cook up unique learning opportnities by giving teacehrs ingredients they need to be successful. (OK, that is a bit of a stretch.  The rest will get better.)

Al covers the red carpet!  He is fab at those celebrity interviews. He even got President Obama's First Interview and a handshake from Vice President Biden. (In case you missed it!)  Librarians are expert interviewers as well.  We interview reluctant readers, veracious readers and even adults who aren't sure what book they really need to teach a skill.  (Admit it.  That was better!)

Al is up for anything!  Seriously.  We have all seen his luge footage with Matt. He's been hypnotized.
He even played Urkel in this year's Halloween skit.  Librarians will do ANYTHING to get someone to read or be motivated.  Case in point.  (DO NOT SHARE THIS PHOTO WITH ANYONE!!)  Meet Agnes who came to the library without her travel books and needed the 2nd graders to fill in their passports with information about Africa.

I think I am still trying to get that nasty dollar store orange lipstick off!

Al is always in the middle of horrible situations - hurricanes, tornadoes, snow storms - you name it, he's covered it. He does the hard things, gets knocked down and keeps on going! Librarians do the same.  We do bus duty, cafeteria duty, concert duty and detention. And we do it all with a smile!

And, as if that were not enough, Al used to have a book club on the Today show. Seriously??!!  Show me a librarian who does not run a book club in their school (or dream of the time to start one).  I dare you to find one!

So Al, if you are ever in Baltimore stop by.  Or if you have a few minutes to spare in NYC, let's hang together.  I'll do the weather.  I'll cook with you.  We can talk books.  I am only a train ride away!