Boulder Public Library Reading Field Trip

So last week I accompanied Ms. Austin's Reading classes on a field trip to the Boulder Public Library.  We had been planning the trip all year and Ms. Austin had obtained forms for library cards for all thirty of her students.  Students were excited to visit and pick up their new cards.

Erica Starts the Tour

We were lucky enough to have an unusually mild sunny day and had a pleasant walk through the neighborhoods to catch the Skip downtown.  Erica Segraves, the youth services manager, met us outside and we started out tour of the library.  Check out the youth services link here.

If you haven't been to the recently renovated library, it's beautiful.  They have moved the children's section to a space that overlooks Boulder Creek.  Also, they have opened a cafe on the walkway across from the theater side to the library main.

One of the highlights was visiting The Teen Space. This opened last year and is a place for 6th-12th graders to relax, connect and create.   They have tools for creating digital movies, creating music or just playing games--both board and video games. The students were particularly excited about this space and I would encourage you go visit and check it out for yourself.

Adam Leads Students in Catapult Project 

The next stop was the new Maker Space.  The library is working and creating a Maker Project Space right behind the theater.  It will house a laser cutter, 3 D Printers, and lost of other cool stuff.  The library plans to host classes and workshops in the near future.

 Adam Watts, Creative Technologist, led the students in an activity where they used Popsicle Sticks, Rubber Bands, Tap and spoons to construct catapults.   The students all got to work.  We loved the hands-on learning and all projects.  

At the end, there was a catapult war with soft fuzzy projectiles, all in the name of Science.

Overall, it was a great field trip.  Thanks to Erica and Adam for hosting and to Amy Austin for all of the work putting it together. 

 What an amazing resource we have in the Boulder Public Library.  Go check it out!

Finding quality books/movies/video games for your students.

So as a goal to be more communicative to the wider community, I've decided to post to this library blog.  I am making a commitment to posting at least bi-weekly, but may post more if I have time/creativity allows.

On this blog I plan to....

• share tips related to media for parents and/or students
• share books I've enjoyed reading (mini-book reviews)
• share what's been going on in the library related to projects/events etc.
• who knows what else?

So in my first post I want to address a question many parents may have been asking.....

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How do I know if certain books/movies/video games are appropriate for my middle level student?

Great Web-Resource:  Common Sense Media

One great resource I discovered was common sense media.  This website states its mission as,  "helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology.  We empower parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives."

 This site offers advice on technology use and has a great collection of reviews of books, movies, games, apps, and websites.  It allows you to filter by age and even has a quick tool bar embedded on the homepage (image on right) to help you find reviews quickly and easily.  I recently looked at a review of a graphic novel called In Real Life by Cory Doctrow as a possibility for my elementary school daughter.  I found the review very useful.  It included an age recommendation (older than my daughter) and also broke down the kind of content that was in it.  It also had a section on What Families Could Talk about related to the book.  I would definitely check out this wonderful resource.
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A FEW GOOD BOOKS...

I book I'm really enjoying right now is Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan.  This book looks thick, but the format on the page makes it a fairly quick read.  The novel weaves together multiple stories of different children facing overwhelming challenges.  It begins in war-torn Germany and moves across the Atlantic Ocean to New York.  I am about a third of the way through the book, and am really enjoying it.  I think it's appropriate for all grade levels, but does delve into some troubling historical times including Nazi Germany and the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

Another book I recently read was The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds.  This is the story of Matt, an high school senior, growing up in Brooklyn. He's recently lost his mother to cancer and Matt's life has turned upside down. To occupy his time, he decides to take a job in a funeral home. Surprisingly, he finds attending other's funerals gives him comfort. He also decides to start wearing a black suit--all the time, so he's always prepared for work. The characters in this book are vivid, realistic and memorable.  I would recommend this book for 7th or 8th graders, especially for any students who may be dealing with grief.  Read my full review on Centennial's Book Blog.

Thanks.  I hope you've enjoyed read.  Please subscribe to the blog if you want to keep up with my latest posts, or just look out for the link on the latest e-blast.