Activities in the Library

The book club is meeting as usual on Wednesday mornings sans AP testers, but we are looking forward to seeing them again next week. The past two weeks have started a new book, "Vampire Kisses" by Ellen Schreiber. Even though we had planned this to be our book for the rest of the year, we finished it in one week, and have now agreed to continue the series with "Kissing Coffins." We have decided to keep up the book club through the blog, where I will post discussion questions, and they will answer (and found out in the process this is being done in one of the English classes, although there could be more). Summer meet-ups at various bookstores in town are being planned, it sounds fun.

One of the main topics of discussion today was based on the fact Raven is thought of as an outcast, and it was agreed many of the group members thought of themselves as outcasts; the black fingernail polish, the fact they don't want to conform to things "popular" students do, such as buying expensive clothing and listening to hip-hop. It was observed there are many "Trevors" here, who try to score as many conquests as possible. The book is a very easy read.

English assignments are due in and there is a flurry of typing and Powerpoint-ing going on in the Kimball HS Library. Topics are on a variety of social issues, as well as social figures who have been assassinated, and racism. Seniors are soon having exams in the next couple of days, and it will be over for them soon.

Activities of the last few days...

After a departmental meeting announcement asking teachers to notify us if they could not make it in, it is full and busy in the library (that, and since TAKS has been over)! Finding and citing sources, writing source cards, researching using print and non-print sources, and outline writing is happening at Kimball HS.

Also, I found a couple of interesting articles in TechEdge, Volume 28, No. 3: "Are You Smarter Than A Whiteboard?: 10 Tips for IWBs in the Classroom," by John Rice, which suggests using educator blogs to provide "...the latest news, information, products, and tips." Those blogs are: smartboards.typepad.com, getting smarterwithsmartboards.blogspot.com, and www.whiteboardblog.co.uk.

TechEdge also reports they received a grant "...to continue to raise awareness and train teachers to use the free educational resources available on Thinkfinity.org." They are going to offer free "Train-the trainer" sessions to educators. They list one date in May (18th and 19th, in Wichita Falls), and two in June (13th-14th, in Austin, and 25th-26th, in Kilgore). Oh, how I want to go! But have problems with all of those dates...

TAKS testing, Book Club, teachers, and all...

Sorry for the lull in blogging, but I was slated to be a TAKS testing administrator, and for those of you who have been there, you know when you're done for the day...you're done. Then you do it for four more days (for Retesters), or three or more days for the others...

This week is AP testing. Not that testing is going on in the library, but one of our book club members was out. We met this morning, the rest of the members in attendance, and had a very good discussion about "Frostbite." Somewhat difficult, since most of our members had not read the book in its entirety! We had our icebreaker alphabet go-round, and the winner was SK. One of the questions posed was: Why wasn't it finished? The main reason seemed to be it didn't generate interest or maintain it. Next was: What were some of the specifics about the book that lost your interest? Some of the reasons included: too much description given about the characteristics of the Stringoi, Moroi, and the dhampirs. I recalled at the first meeting I had complained it was hard for me to remember all those characteristics, so now I realize how careful I will have to be not to convey my personal feelings before the reading even gains momentum. Also, love relationships between the Moroi and dhampirs (love 'em and leave 'em with kids) seemed to be a problem issue. The members also brought up there just wasn't much going on during the first chapters, again, mostly description. At that point, comparisons between this series, Twilight, and House of Night came up. There was vampire description, but not all at once, and not so early in the book.

It was brought up again, please be vocal if you don't agree with the book selection choices, and vote accordingly. Vampire's Kiss was chosen, but the author was not known by the member who suggested the title, and her description given does not match either of the books I found online.

Meanwhile, teachers are signing up for time in the library for research, but don't let us know when they will be unable to make it in. This leads to others being unable to sign up, and (sometimes) an empty library...