Elementary Practica

Last Wednesday I started my practica at Fairgrieve Elementary and I love it! I am truly inspired working with this age group. I am already developing lesson plans and book talks to give during my time at the school. Everyone keeps asking if my sponsor librarian and I are related because we're perpetuating a blonde hair, blue eyed, glasses-wearing kind of stereotype.
Some of the things I accomplished this week:

• helped librarian update Accelerated Reader bulletin boards
• designed poetry checklist for upper elementary poetry assignment
• worked with inclusion students finishing up creating and composing imagination cookie recipes for author Nancy Carlson's visit this coming Wednesday
• hung academic vocabulary in the library and computer lab

I also learned about a bunch of awesome resources including: Instant Poetry and Ribbon Hero (an add on game for Microsoft Word which awards students points for tasks including changing font color/ size, formatting paragraphs, etc.).

I am planning a few different lessons for this practica. I decided to focus on presenting nonfiction book talks to third and fourth grade students. Reading nonfiction texts is emphasized in the Common Core. I have found series books about history and science topics to present to third and fourth grade students. I also plan on reviewing with students how to search for books using the school's OPAC and review computer terminology such as hardware, software, input, and output. 

I am looking forward to what this week will bring!