Snow Day Reading Challenge

Well, we are on day three of being out of school due to cold and snow, so, Mrs. Wells has decided to offer a special Snow Day challenge.

Here are the rules:
1.  Read a book (any book that is your level. It could be from the library at school or your personal collection.)  It can be a book you checked out last week when we were in school as well.
2.  Google or check YouTube for samples of book trailers.   There are some AWESOME ones out there. Book trailers are quick and easy grabbers to a book.  They are like the trailers you see at the movie theater before the actual movie begins.
3.  On your school device, you have a program called MovieMaker.  It is built in.  Play around with it.  It is very easy to use.   Find some pictures, find some video, find some audio.  Look for Creative Commons, like I have mentioned before.   Assemble a movie about the book.  It only needs to be 30 seconds to a minute.   You can do clips and a voice over, you can record yourself talking about the book, whatever you feel is the way to get people excited.
4.  Save the document on your computer and stop in the library when we get back from weather days.  Mrs. Wells will help you transfer it to her.

The library staff will watch the trailers and choose the best one.  The winner will get 2 coffee shoppe coupons. Everyone who submits one gets their name in a drawing for a coffee shoppe coupon.

So... what are you going to read Hamilton?  Mrs. Well is finishing Beautiful Darkness and Insurgent.

Getting kids involved: Trailers and Talks

I took over the school library in 2010.  For as long as I can remember, and even into my time as the librarian, kids would come in, get a book and leave.  The library was not a place where they wanted to spend their time.  I am not sure why that has been the norm, but it is my goal to make that idea change for the better.

I decided to offer my students some challenges this year.  Ways to get them in, get them reading and get them involved.  We opened our coffee shop last year with the intent of buying books and supplies that our usual budget can't cover.  I decided this summer when one of the teachers asked me about making videos and PSAs for digital citizenship that I would take those funds and buy a few hand held video cameras.  I am going to challenge students to do book talks and trailers!

I have the space for them to work, I have the books and I have the knowledge to explain how to do it. We even have a YouTube channel for our school where I can post their work. (Of course, I will refer to the appropriate documents to assure they can be published online.)  I have some prizes to offer for completing the tasks. (A colleague of mine donated a case of ARC that I use for prizes.  And, I have other goodies I have collected over the years that kids like.) I will give them more opportunities for prizes if they use Indiana State nominees as topics for their trailers. (I decided early on to have a drawing for them to read the books and vote so I could get more kids involved with the process.)

I am hoping with all of the different things I have implemented and the changes I have made, my school library will become the school center and kids will gravitate there.