February 6, 2014
Every Other Thursday, you’ll get this short, fun, relevant newsletter.
It will contain a quote or smile about the library and those who love it, an
idea you can use to promote your library or reading in general, a Common Core
implementation idea and a shameless plug for the programs I offer. Enjoy!
If you are new to EOT or have missed any previous issues, you can read
them all at www.smartlibrarians.com.
And please tell your friends about it!
I hope you were able to stay safe and warm in the ice and snow last week.
And then that groundhog says we have 6 more weeks of winter! I never did like
that little rodent!
In this issue:
- Library quotes/funnies
- Promote reading with Family Reading Night
- Contest winners announced!
- Common Core Idea – AASL Best Websites
- Shameless Self Promotion – Best Science Night Ever!
“For something that doesn’t make a sound, a book speaks loud enough for
its message to be etched on our hearts forever.”
Thoughts
from a Bookworm #126 – from www.darwingeek.tumblr.com
“Any book you haven’t read is a new book!”
Seen
on a T-shirt at COMO 2012
Promote (from the Theme/Event
section of “45 Ideas in 45 Minutes!”
19. Host a Family Reading Night. I have seen this done
a variety of ways. Sometimes it is called Family Literacy Night, but I like
Reading better. (As a parent I was more likely to go to a Reading Night than a Literacy
Night. We LOVE reading, but we are already literate at my house.)
You can set up stations for genres, age groups, independent reading or
read alouds. Keep in mind your theme for the year and decorate/promote
accordingly. For example, if you are doing a Reading Round Up, all reading
stations could be like cowboy campsites and the stories would be about life on
the range, excerpts from Hank the Cowdog books, folk tales like Pecos Bill and
biographies of Annie Oakley and Wild Bill Hickok. You could even invite a
motivational reading show performer (see www.tommyjohnspresents.com for
more info!).
Contest winners announced!
I am no good at choosing winners based on anything besides drawing a
name out of a bucket. We had 5 people enter and all were fun, creative or
desperate, indicating that they should get the free one year subscription to www.curriculumdivas.org! So all 5 are
winners! I will send your e-mail addresses to the Divas and they will get in
touch with you soon about setting this up. Our winners are:
- Elizabeth Foster, Media Specialist, Royston Elementary School, Royston, GA
- Kelley Johnston, Media Specialist, New Hope Elementary, Whitfield County, GA
- Cheryl Fletcher, Media Specialist, Americus Sumter High South, Americus, GA
- Natalie Lett, Media Specialist – Statham Elementary School, Statham, GA
- Ruthie Hite, Teacher-Librarian/Media Specialist, Reese Road Leadership Academy, Columbus, GA 31907
Common Core Idea – AASL Best
Websites
I led a breakout session at the Dougherty County Schools Media
Specialists Training in January (for the 4th year in a row!) and had
a great time. The best information I got (and there was a LOT of good stuff
shared) was something that Marie Salter shared. The AASL reviews hundreds of
free educational websites and chooses the top 125 each year to share with us,
even if you are not a member of AASL. Take a few minutes and peruse http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards-guidelines/best-websites/2013
for some great resources that will help you do your work as a
teacher/librarian! For the rest of the year, I will be selecting 2 websites
from this page to highlight in EOT.
Shameless Self
Promotion – Best Science Night Ever!
If your school is having a science night and they want to have the best
attendance ever, tell your PTA or science teacher to give me a call. I have two
science programs for elementary students that are Common Core aligned and are a
lot of fun! And they both promote READING!
Go Wild! is all about the scientific process and life science and Work Smarter, Not Harder! is all about the 6 simple machines. Both programs were developed with input from the folks at the National Science Center in Augusta, GA.
Here’s how to have the Best Science Night EVER! Bring me in to do a half or full day of one of the science programs during the day for your students and the other that evening. At the daytime program, I’ll encourage the kids to come back for a completely different show in the evening and they will drag their parents back to have more fun! The reason I know it works is that it always does! Whenever a school books a literacy/reading night or science night using this format, we have record attendance at the evening program. I offer a discount for booking programs like this, so get your science person to call or e-mail today!
Here’s what one of your
colleagues had to say about our science shows:
“Very motivating for the kids and the staff! The thing I
liked most about “Go Wild!” was the way you related fun, science, reading and
geography into a show that was both very educational AND entertaining!
JoLayne Rentzel, Educational
Programs Director
National Science Center, Augusta,
GA
Let me know how I can help! See you in two weeks!
Encouraging kids to read, I am
Tommy Johns
Educational Entertainment Specialist
Call (770) 640-6509 or Toll Free at (866) 490-READ
------------------------------------
Your peers appreciate your advice about quality programs. Please tell them
about your experience working with us. Our best sales people are our many loyal
clients.
No comments:
Post a Comment