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INFO@GRANT WOOD AEAOCTOBER 2016

Monthly information for teacher-librariansand media contacts

ONLINE RESOURCES MONTHLY FEATURE Keep on Reading...

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE FUTUREDeanna shares ideas on how to build collaboration into the research process for grades K-6.

“THINK, MAKE, INNOVATE”: GREEN SCREEN TECHNOLOGY AND MOVIE SPECIAL EFFECTS WITH SOLON MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTSJoin Jason and Amber for the 2nd season of the Makerspace Challenge Show.

INTRODUCING THE GWAEA VAN DRIVERSWant to put a name with the face you see delivering GWAEA materials to your building? Meet your van delivery driver. Click here to read more about them.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!The GWAEA Media Center Giveaway is coming your way. Look for an email with more details in the next week. The dates for giveaway are October 31st - November 4th and will include VAST center resources and Media Center collection resources. November 7th - 12th will include DVDs.

MACKINVIA EBOOKS FOR BEGINNERSNo time to train your teachers on eBooks? Deanna has you covered! Click here for registration dates.

MACKINVIA EBOOK ADMINISTRATIVE TRAINING Sign up for the Administrative Training Workshop designed for TLs and Media Contacts to be held on October 18 from 7:30-8:30 A.M. Register Here.

CELEBRATE NATIONAL GAMES & PUZZLES WEEKCheck out ideas and resources from theGWAEA Media Center to promote Games and Puzzles week.

AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK - NOV. 13-19, 2016Thank you teacher librarians and media contacts. The Grant Wood AEA Media Center truly values the services you provide. Without you, the world of information literacy might be overlooked.

WE NEED YOUR INPUT!Do you have ideas on topics for upcoming editions of info@gwaea.org? Click here to help us out.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!Opportunity for Input on Future Licensing of Selected Online Resources. On Tuesday, October 18, each teacher librarian and media contact will receive an email with a survey link. Click here to read more.

Grant Wood Area Education Agency extends equal opportunities in its employment practices, educational programs and services, and does not discriminate on the basis of color, gender, race, national origin, religion, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, veteran status or as otherwise prohibited by law. If you believe you or your child has been discriminated against or treated unjustly, please contact the Agency’s Equity Coordinator, Maria Cashman, at 319-399-6847 or 800-332-8488, Grant Wood AEA, 4401 Sixth St SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404.

ONLINE RESOURCES MONTHLY FEATURE What are you reading?

As you work on final preparations for America Reads, keep in mind online resources that students can access 24/7 free of charge. Each resource has a built-in read-aloud feature, interactive activities and options to explore additional websites to extend student learning.

Here’s what the Media Center recommends:

For grades PreK-3

For grades PreK-5

For grades 3-5

For grades 6-12

Let the reading begin.

If you have questions regarding any of the AEA Online Resources, please contact Kathleen Goslinga at kgoslinga@gwaea.org.

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE FUTUREFor many teacher librarians, their week includes working with students on research skills to prepare students for their futures.

How does one incorporate other 21st century skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, communication and creativity into the research process?

This month Deanna suggests ways to build collaboration into the K-6 research process.

“When a group has at least 3 students working together on a task, it is small group work. It becomes collaborative work when those students are interdependent on one another.” (A. Jansen)

It is important to have meaningful tasks within collaborative groups. Each student has a role and understands the importance of working together to accomplish a contributing task. For example, if the topic is the life cycle of butterflies, individuals or groups could include investigate a stage:

• Egg• Caterpillar (larva)• Chrysalis (pupa)• Adult

Two important skills that are taught, which lead to effective collaboration are:

• Social Skills - These skills are needed for cooperation and include getting along with others, respecting others and their opinions and accepting different learning abilities.

• Group Self Reflection - Here is an example of a tool that is appropriate for K-6 group reflection, “The Benefits of Collaborative Learning in the Elementary Classroom” by Crystal Daugherty.

Some of the strategies that can be used to encourage collaborative learning include:

• Jigsaw - each student is in charge of becoming an expert on one part of a whole lesson.

• Student Team Learning - students learn in small, carefully structured learning teams and they are rewarded based on the progress made by all team members.

And finally, what is it about collaboration that makes it a great fit for teaching the research process? For starters, students:

• Learn how to promote and reflect on their work.

• Become an expert in the topic.• Take ownership

of the project and their learning.

• Are challenged.

While collaboration isn’t necessarily easy, the short and long-term benefits to students will help them develop skills for college and career readiness.

INTRODUCING THE GWAEA VAN DRIVERSEach week, our drivers log hundreds of miles to ensure safe and efficient delivery of materials to your schools.

The Grant Wood AEA Media Center would like to introduce you to your van delivery driver.

On Mondays and Thursdays, Rick Smith delivers to these districts and schools:

• Center for Disabilities and Development • Heritage Christian School • Grant Wood AEA Off-Site Behavior Learning Center • Heritage Christian School • Horizons - Iowa City • Iowa City • Iowa Medical Classification • Linn County Detention • Regina Education Center • Willowwind School • Youth Emergency Shelter

Rick Smith delivers to the following districts and schools on Tuesdays and Fridays:

• College Community • Lisbon • Mount Vernon • North Cedar • Scattergood Friends • Solon • Tipton • West Branch

Maureen Corcoran delivers to the following districts and schools on Mondays and Fridays:

• Belle Plaine • Benton • Center Point-Urbana • Central Lutheran • Foundation II • Iowa Braille • LaSalle Middle School • St. Jude-Holy Family • Trinity Lutheran • Vinton-Shellsburg

On Tuesdays and Fridays, Maureen Corcoran delivers to the following districts and schools:

• Highland • Horizons - Cedar Rapids • Kirkwood Community-Resource Center • Lone Tree • Mid-Prairie • St. James • St. Ludmila-Holy Family • Washington

On Mondays and Thursdays, Rob Mitchell delivers to these districts and schools:

• Alburnett • All Saints • Cedar Valley Christian • Central City • Linn-Mar • Marion Independent • North Linn • St. Joseph • Workplace Learning Connection

Duane Van Horn delivers to the following districts and schools Monday thru Friday:

• Cedar Rapids Schools • Tanager Place • 33rd Ave. Facility

Duane Van Horn delivers to the following districts and schools on Mondays and Thursdays:

• Anamosa • Anamosa Penitentiary • Bertram/Four oaks • Midland • Monticello • Olin Consolidated • Regis Middle • Sacred Heart • St. Matthew • St. Patrick

On Tuesdays and Fridays, Duane Van Horn delivers to the following districts and schools:

• A.W.A.R.E. - River Ridge • Clear Creek Amana • English Valleys • HLV • Iowa Valley • Isaac Newton • Life Skills - River Ridge • Lutheran Interparish • Metro Catholic Office • Project Vital - Kirkwood • S.E.A.D. - River Ridge • St. Pius X • Summit Schools • Williamsburg • Xavier High

If you have specific questions about delivery, please ask your van driver or contact the GWAEA Media Center at 319-399-6754.

Featured left to right: Rick Smith, Maureen Corcoran, Rob Mitchell, and Duane Van Horn

CELEBRATE NATIONAL GAMES & PUZZLES WEEKCelebrate National Games and Puzzle week during the third week of November. Explore this list of games and puzzles that are available in our classroom collection.

WE NEED YOUR INPUT!Click here to access a short survey in which you may provide input on topics for upcoming editions of info@gwaea.org

WE NEED YOUR HELP!On Tuesday, October 18, each teacher librarian and media contact will receive an email with survey link.

The results of this survey will help the GWAEA Media Center determine if Digital Literacy, NetTrekker and TumbleBook Cloud will be licensed in 2017-2018 school year.

Please respond to the survey by Monday, October 31, 2016.

If you have questions about the survey, please contact Kathleen Goslinga at kgoslinga@gwaea.org.

Grant Wood Area Education Agency extends equal opportunities in its employment practices, educational programs and services, and does not discriminate on the basis of color, gender, race, national origin, religion, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, veteran status or as otherwise prohibited by law. If you believe you or your child has been discriminated against or treated unjustly, please contact the Agency’s Equity Coordinator, Maria Cashman, at 319-399-6847 or 800-332-8488, Grant Wood AEA, 4401 Sixth St SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404.

“THINK, MAKE, INNOVATE”: GREEN SCREEN TECHNOLOGY AND MOVIE SPECIAL EFFECTS WITH SOLON MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS“Think, Make, Innovate” is the Grant Wood AEA Digital Learning Team’s makerspace challenge show.

In the second episode of their 2nd season, GWAEA Technology Consultants Jason Marshall and Amber Bridge work with middle school students from Solon Community Schools as they put their own twist on the fairy tale, “3 Little Pigs”. They utilize green screen technology with movie special effects to create a unique adaptation of a classic fairy tale.

Check out the Grant Wood AEA Digital Learning Team’s website for lesson plans and photos and videos of schools that have accepted this challenge.

Have Fun Making!

If the life cycle of butterflies is a topic you wish to pursue

with students, look at the resources the GWAEA Media

Center has available.

Butterflies - DVDsButterflies - Grades K-3Butterflies - Grades 4-5

Share your projects with us.

Send an email to Deanna Weber at

dweber@gwaea.org

To find out these and more strategies,

refer to “The Benefits of Collaborative Learning

in the Elementary Classroom”.