NCHS Library News

You don’t have to have a Twitter account to follow us. To learn about library learning, just click the Twitter tile on the nchslibrary.info website, and you can see our latest tweets. Every month, we update our post chronology in Storify, a social media aggregator.

The library offered research workshops during January 4-8 lunch periods to help 9th, 10th, and 11th grade English students improve their work before handing it in. All the main research checkpoints were covered in the workshops, including research questions, works cited, thesis statements, and evidence. The shared computer display and the use of Google Docs for editing facilitated group discussion and learning.

The 3D printer is up and running. We made an earbud holder this week. We have many files ready to print. Our Techxperts will be happy to teach students how to print 3D objects.

Ms. Weeks (@MsAWeeks on Twitter) scheduled time in the library makerspace for her Language, Literature, and Composition (10th grade English) classes to create, and then present, visual representations of either theme or character development in the choice books they had read in December. Their projects were imaginative and their presentations were impressive.

At the start of second semester, students will receive a research survey to collect feedback on research learning, library services and resources. We look forward to incorporating student responses into library program enhancements.

The library now has three charging stations. There are two in the lower library, and one in The Big History Read section. For safety’s sake, we ask students to avoid moving them. It is best to keep the floor clear of cables and other obstacles.

As 11th grade students hand in their first semester English research paper, United States history teachers are planning instruction for the second semester history research paper. The library program serves as the learning bridge between the two benchmark assessments. In collaborative meetings, we explain what was covered, what we’ve seen in student work, and what needs instructional emphasis. We look forward to working with teachers and students to make this a successful experience for all involved.

10th grade students made great use of the green screen in this Percy Jackson book trailer. Students are invited to use the media lab for both class and club projects. As this video demonstrates, the green screen provides new opportunities for creative outlet.

Thanks to the PFA, we have new items in the makerspace including Cubelets, a Mip robot, Sphero, LittleBits, Lego Mindstorm, and Raspberry Pi. Starting second semester, we will host makerspace workshops on these using these resources, and other creative activities during lunch on Wednesdays.

Somewhat Virtual Book Club is the NCHS Library book discussion group. Our NCHS club generally meets face-to-face, schedules permitting (we meet virtually if we can’t get to school). At our first meeting, we connected virtually with schools in five other states (and now maybe on in Japan!?!) using Google Hangouts to discuss a pre-selected book. Here’s what our Rosemary O’Neill had to say about participating in the club last year. Our next book is Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. The discussion will take place on February 3rd at 6PM in the library.

We post much of our research instruction on THE ANNEX@ (our instructional blog). It's the go to resource for students who wish to review what we taught in class.

Email: contact@nchslibrary.info
Website: nchslibrary.info
Location: 11 Farm Road, New Canaan, CT, United States
Phone: (615) 669 6670
Facebook: facebook.com/nchslibrary
Twitter: @nchslmc