P.A. Shaw Library Blog
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A few months ago our school was chosen to participate in BPS Technology’s Transforming Learning with Technology Initiative. Through this initiative we were the happy recipients of 90 Chromebooks. I am ecstatic to finally be achieving some equity in the access to technology. Students are now able to use technology in the library to access the resources they need to learn, explore, and engage in authentic learning opportunities. Here is an update on the learning taking place in the library! Kindergarten- We have continued to work on story comprehension and sequencing skills. We read The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and learned that visuals can be used as a retelling strategy. Students used pictures from the story and felt board pieces to put the story back in order. They did a great job talking with their partner to figure out what came next! They are getting more and more comfortable using expressive vocabulary. We also read A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle. Again, we used visuals to help us remember which item from the ocean was added to the hermit crab’s shell first, next, and last. We also used puppets and movements as additional ways to retell the story. We used our bodies to sway like sea anemones, swim like fish, crawl like snails, and walk like crabs. We even tasted real seaweed! The goals is for students to be able to share books, stories, and information with others. They will use these retelling skills throughout their entire lives. First Grade- We have been learning what makes a fairy tale a fairy tale. We learned that fairy tales have common features such as “once upon a time…”, royalty, magic, etc. These features stay consistent throughout different tales. We have also been learning about fractured fairy tales and how they are meant to make us laugh. We read The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka, then made graphic organizers to help us tell the main parts of the story. We also used a Venn diagram to compare and contrast it with The Gingerbread Man. They have been doing a great job noticing similarities and differences between stories. Second and Third Grade- I have started teaching the students about digital citizenship. I want them to be able to make safe, smart decisions online. Second graders went on a virtual field trip to the San Diego Zoo and learned rules for using the Internet safely. They discovered that the Internet can be used to visit far-away places. Third graders discussed their offline responsibilities (doing their homework, brushing their teeth, etc.) and then examined their online responsibilities (not giving out personal information, protecting their passwords, etc.) Having this technology in the library has allowed students to take control over their own learning, working at their own pace and at their own individual reading levels. The students have been so engaged in their learning and are always excited to use the devices. Last week I found out that I was chosen as one of this year’s recipients of the 2018 Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA) President’s Award. This award honors someone that has made a significant impact on student learning through a quality school library program. I will receive the award on March 25th at the MSLA Awards Banquet at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was newsworthy enough for The Boston Globe's James Vaznis to tweet about it! I am so thankful to be recognized.  It's hard to believe that just a few years ago we didn't have any books or shelves! The library space has certainly come a long way. I am so proud to be part of the P.A. Shaw School community and all of the incredible work that our students partake in each and every school day.
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AuthorMrs. Keohane is the School Librarian at the P.A. Shaw. She loves hockey, going to the beach, and reading (obviously!) Archives
March 2020
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