My "Fixed" Week

Just finished this week of my "fixed" schedule. I was the special area (ie teacher planning period) for this week. The classes will go to Guidance next week and it will be flex in the library. I am lucky to have 28 computers in the library that I can use and my thinking this year is that if they are here---I should be using them with students. After all our goal in library is to make students independent users of information. So this week every grade from K-5 used the computer in some fashion during the library lesson. My reflection for this week will focus on what "worked". I tend to follow a demonstrate-it then go-use-it pattern for use of computer programs.

I use the video projector with my laptop and demo what I want the students do with the specific computer application. Even if the class has used the program before, I review it. This week we used Encyclopedia Britannica Online, the Jan Brett Website, an online version of The Snowy Day, www.thecolor.com for snowflakes, and www.vancouver2010.com (the Winter Olympics official website). I think what really made my lessons "work" this week was the fact that I was continually monitoring students at the computers. I walked around reminding, restating, re-directing and responding. I try to make student use of technology an interactive experience--not a passive way to fill time.

An example of the Flexible-Fixed Library:
While I was writing this blog I received a call from a 1st grade teacher asking that I help with their animal research during the next "fixed" library week. Yeah! --an opportunity for collaboration. I said sure and also suggested that if more time was needed, classes/students could also come for extra library time during the following "flex" week in the library.