And The Winner Is...

 JANUARY IS BOOK AWARD MONTH!

    In the elementary schools in Brighton each January, we participate with thousands of other schools around the nation during book award month. We concentrate on the Caldecott Award, because this award helps students understand the importance of picture books. We explain this award to the students by showing them examples of past winners. This award goes to the best illustrations in a picture book. The illustrations must be age appropriate for the children intended, and they must tell the story (with or without words). The students get excited to see which books are predicted to win the award, and make their own predictions. 

    Before the award is announced at the end of January, the students get to cast their vote. After the award is announced, the students find out during their Library/STEAM class which book the school voted for as their #1 choice and which book won the actual Caldecott Medal or Honor Medals. It's a very exciting time! This year's winner for Hornung was "Lift", written by Minh Le and illustrated by Dan Santat. The 2020 Caldecott Winner is "We Are Water Protectors", written by Carole Lindstrum and illustrated by Michaela Goade. Students can listen to these stories and/or author videos again through our Hornung Virtual Library. They can click on the "book" on the bookshelf to be directed to our read-alouds main page, then click on "January" to view all of the books that we reviewed at school. Read on!!  ~Mrs. Richards 💛📚

Developing Computer Scientists is Elementary

 It's Computer Science Education Week(s)

    This month we explored the "S" and "T" in STEAM with computer science and technology.  The national Computer Science Education Week is December 7-13, 2020.  We got a jumpstart on the week by introducing smaller lessons the first week in December, so that we were ready for the Hour of Code.  JK and K classes learned about algorithms with a pirate game, teaching them directional skills as well as coding.  These students also sampled coding with Kodable and Code and Go Mouse robots.  Students in 2nd-4th grade participated in the Hour of Code through https://code.org/learn, where they learned coding with games such as Star Wars, Minecraft, Dance Party, and The Grinch. #CSEdWeek #HourofCode

    We finished out the month with our popular flashlight/glow read-in.  In a normal school year, the students would come to the Library, where it is transformed into a dark, cozy atmosphere with a virtual fireplace on the Promethean Board and instrumental holiday music playing over the speakers.  This year, the flashlight/glow read-in was brought to the classrooms.  The students could choose between reading their library books with a flashlight or listening to holiday read-alouds by the glow of their classroom devices.  It was a nice way to relax and prepare for the Winter Break with the love of some wonderful books, and of course the love of our BAS Therapy Dogs, Shadow and Alley (visiting from BHS).  💛~Mrs. Richards

 

The "E" and "M" in STEAM

 S T E A M

    With each Library/STEAM lesson, we teach based on a different letter in the accronym STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and Math/Media).  In November, we taught about the Engineering Design Process, engineering with manipulatives and digging deeper into our media resources with a fun activity.  We started the month out with our "Book Tastings".  Each table of students received a bin full of books, randomly selected and containing multiple genres.  The students had 1 minute to choose a book, and 2 minutes to read as much as they could to get an idea of the story.  They had the option to keep the book or put it back in the bin.  We completed two rounds, and the students were excited to realize that there are so many new books available to them that they never would have chosen without this activity.  We did this activity for two weeks, and we found the students expanding their choices for pleasure reading.  Our book requests skyrocketed.  A Teacher Librarian's dream outcome!  #brightonreads

    The engineering lessons were delivered to all classrooms JK-4th grade on our new "STEAM on a Cart", following disinfecting protocols between all classes to help keep staff and students safe.  The Engineering Design Process is not new to our Hornung students.  This curriculum has been taught for the past six years, beginning with our youngest learners in Junior Kindergarten.  The students enjoyed imagining and designing their structures!  This was the first step in bringing our STEAM Center manipulatives to the students during this Pandemic, and it was very successful.  💛⚙️~Mrs. Richards

Digital Citizenship - Keeping our Students Safe Online!

We Take Online Learning Seriously!

    What does it mean to be a good digital citizen and why is that important?  We spend the month of October each year teaching the students about important rules for being safe online.  Most of our Library curriculum on this topic comes from Common Sense Education at http://www.commonsense.org.  Each grade level is taught mini lessons weekly, along with extension activities to reinforce learning.  Students in JK-2nd created Digital Citizens with Makerspace supplies that were individually packaged for their creations to adhere to safe COVID-19 guidelines, as well as using a drawing app to create their Digital Citizen online.  For students in 3rd & 4th grades, we reinforced their learning with collaborations on Jamboard and Google Slides.

    To reinforce these important lessons in a fun gaming environment, 1st-4th grade students learned how to play Interland, created by Google.  They were excited to explore the different "Towers of Responsibility", with many students completing all of the levels either at school or on their own time at home.  This game is available all year long on our Media Center website.  We teach our students to "Be Internet Awesome!".

💛💻📱~Mrs. Richards

Hornung Media Center Website - Interland/Digital Citizenship
 

 

Welcome Back to School - It Looks a Little Different this Year!

 What Does Library/STEAM Look Like During a Pandemic?

    This past year has taught us so much about what we can learn at a distance!  The Spring brought on some great challenges, but we had fun learning how far our technology could take us to keep us connected and learning.  Fast forward to preparing for the school year, and it didn't look like we were going to be able to service our students with Library books, nonetheless STEAM curriculum.  However, we have gotten really good at thinking outside the box!

    We need to keep our students and staff safe, so it wasn't possible to start the year off with all classes coming into the Library.  So, we brought the Library to the classrooms - kind of.  We created Library Book Buses (or Library on a cart), separated by grade level selections.  These "Library on a Cart" buses are pushed down to classrooms for their weekly Library/STEAM class times.  In addition, 3rd and 4th grade students can make special requests, which are pulled for them and delivered within the same school day.

    Besides figuring out how to service our students with Library resources, we also spent September teaching students how to properly use technology in a safe way.  It was a busy month, but we were off to a great start!  💛📚~Mrs. Richards

Thinkers and Tinkers Keep Their Brains Active at Home!

Hello Hornung Family!

It's been a while since I posted something to this blog, so what better way to get it back up and running than to help our families out while you are at home?!  As "Thinkers and Tinkers" in the Library STEAM Center, we are always working on ways to expand our reading, critical thinking, problem solving, research, analytical and innovative minds.

Did you know that through our Library website you have resources available to you all year long?  Some of these are free resources, and some of them are paid resources that our school provides to our students.  So, let's start by looking at our Hornung Media Center website!  Here are some highlights that the students are used to accessing in the Library...

• Tumblebook - our premium subscription to their online Library.  There are many great books for the students to enjoy on this site!
• PebbleGo & PebbleGo Next - JK-6th grade database for reading and research.  Your PebbleGo database includes built-in reading and research tools for emerging readers. Leveled text, educational games, and multimedia help teach concepts to your youngest researchers.
• Computer Science Week & Hour of Code - through this link on our website, students can practice their coding skills through fun interactive games.
• Digital Citizenship & Interland - through this link on our website, students can practice their digital citizenship skills (being safe online) through Google's fun and interactive game, Interland.
• Grade Level Links - this page has many resources to keep them busy learning about Health, Science & Social Studies, Language Arts, and Math!

     

In addition to our Library Media Center website, there have been many other free resources that have been popping up all over the place!  I am going to try to keep up by posting new links to this blog.  Here are some of these fabulous resources:

• Amazing Educational Resources - so far there are 126 companies who are offering free resources during this time.  If there are any that request a Teacher or Administrative permissions, I will request that and update the link.  Feel free to email me if there is a specific one you want access to!  richardst@brightonk12.com.
• Art Activities from McHarper Manor - beginning Monday, 3/16, our studio will be going live daily Monday through Friday at 1pm Eastern Time, with free art & craft tutorials to create at home with your kids! We'll have shopping lists (with links to the supplies you can order from Amazon) so you can have supplies on-hand to complete the projects with us!

     

• Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems! - the students are going to love watching Mo Willems doodle at 1 pm EST each day!
• Finish the Comic with Jarrett Lerner, author of Enginerds - students who love comics and graphic novels will love these activities where they can finish the comics that Mr. Lerner has started.

This is so cool!!  Your students are going to love listening to their favorite authors reading their own books!  Many authors and illustrators are getting on board to read to students.  Here is the link to Author Read-alouds and other Kit Lit resources and activities...

• LivBits - So many amazing Author Links on this Google Doc!
• Picture Books Read Aloud Video links on Pernille Ripp's blog
• Growing list of 1st Chapter and Picture Book Read Alouds on Kate Messner's website

Children need structure, so I'm sure you've seen some of the sample schedules that you could follow at home during this time.  If not, here are a few examples.  

 

Hornung Families - I will keep adding to this as resources come across my desk.  Make the most of your time at home with your families, and we hope that you stay healthy and enjoy this activities!

February Updates - Spring Book Fair & Seussville Week

After so many snow/cold days interrupting our STEAM curriculum and schedule, we got back on track to get ready for March is Reading Month!  Last week we kicked off the excitement with our Spring Book Fair.  It is such a wonderful event to promote reading for all of our students, and all of the proceeds go back into our students for free books for our classroom libraries, student raffles, and new books for our Library/STEAM Center.  It was a huge success!

     

Then, we ended the month with our favorite STEAM Week...Seussville.  All of our stations celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday (March 2nd).  Our students had so much fun learning!

          

          

     

     

Book Awards and Computer Programming

The month of January is very exciting to the Library world.  It's book award month!  This month we are concentrating on several picture books that are up for the oldest and most distinguished book award, the Caldecott Award.  This award is for the best illustrations in a picture book.  There are several factors that go into the nomination for this award.  Here are just a few:

• The illustrations should tell the story (with or without words present).
• The book has to appeal to children of all ages up through the age of 14.
• The book needs to be written and published in the United States the previous year.  So, for our awards this month, the book needs to be written and published in 2018.

The students and I love this month, and get really excited to explore these books.  We end the month with our own mock election to vote on our favorite book.  Last year there were 4 books that won the Caldecott Honor Award (basically 2nd place) and we picked the Caldecott Medal Award winning book..."Wolf In the Snow" by Matthew Cordell.  Very exciting!!  The Caldecott Award is announced on January 28th, 2019, and we can't wait to see if we vote for the winner!

In addition to book award month, all of our Hornung students are continuing to learn about computer programming.  Our JK-1st grade students are working with Code & Go Robot Mouse.  This game helps them understand programming sequences, and challenges them with different pathways to program.  Our 2nd-4th grade students are working with ScratchJr.  This application teaches them how to program their own interactive stories.  It's an exciting time in the Library STEAM Center!

Expanding Coding Lessons with Osmo

This week in the Library STEAM Center, students were able to gather ideas from what they learned last week and apply it to the Osmo gaming system through Coding with Awbie.  "Osmo Coding Awbie uses hands-on physical blocks to control Awbie, a playful character who loves delicious strawberries. Each block is a coding command that directs Awbie on a wondrous tree-shaking, strawberry-munching adventure. Coding Awbie teaches problem-solving and logic skills."

To see the game in action, click on this video link...
Osmo Coding with Awbie

Students were also given the opportunity to get back onto http://www.code.org to further explore and expand their knowledge using Hour of Code activities.  Many students completed coding games and were able to print and take home completion certificates.  I encourage students to continue to enjoy these activities at home through our Library STEAM Center website.  

Computer Science Activities

What a fun month in the Library STEAM Center!  Code-On!!

Computer Science Education Week

Each year we celebrate Computer Science Education Week in the Library STEAM Center at Hornung.  This year the celebration takes place December 3rd-9th.  What is this week all about?

"Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) is an annual program dedicated to inspiring K-12 students to take interest in computer science.  Originally conceived by the Computing in the Core coalition, Code.org® organizes CSEdWeek as a grassroots campaign supported by 350 partners and 100,000 educators worldwide.  CSEdWeek is held in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906).  Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to expanding computer science education. The Code.org vision is that computer science should be part of the core curriculum in every school, alongside other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses." ~https://csedweek.org/about

All JK-4th grade students took part in computer science education week at Hornung.  Our youngest students were introduced with the very basics of computer science with a visual representation of what coding is, and a new game to work on these basic concepts, Kodable.  Our 1st-4th grade students went to the Hour of Code website, linked through our Media Center webpage, and explored coding games such as Star Wars, Minecraft, and Dance Party.

The fun doesn't stop here!  Students can continue to access these resources throughout the year by going to our Media Center webpage dedicated to Computer Science Week.  

https://hornungmediacenter.weebly.com/computer-science-week.html