Our middle school Media Skills class partnered with K–2 students, helping them complete their book preview activities and guiding them as they explored new books. This collaboration created a meaningful learning experience for both younger and older students.

After completing the book preview, students visited the Gingerbread Café, where they shared and discussed their book selections, while enjoying sweet treats with friends. This event provided students with a fun way to enjoy the media center outside of their regular Enrichment time, take a closer look at new library offerings, and actively engage with reading.

By building stronger connections to books and reading, we help set students up for greater achievement and success. It was truly a joyful celebration of reading, friendship, and holiday cheer!

Copyright Corner

From a Reader:  Books that are recorded and already on YouTube... safe to post in Google Classroom? 

Publishers have been incredibly lenient during this recent pandemic about teachers using and posting recordings of texts.  First, I don't expect this leniency to last forever.  Second, you can link these in your Google Classroom, just be aware that they may disappear without warning should a publisher file a copyright claim with YouTube.

Essentially, the Google Classroom, Canvas Classroom, or SeeSaw Classroom is an extension of your classroom and fair use applies as it would there.  That does not give you free reign to digitally create a book copy and hand it out to your students via Google Classroom and not purchase the readily available digital copies, but it does mean that read alouds can be conducted as they would in the regular classroom.  Be mindful of distribution and any loss of revenue that may result.   These are measuring points for fair use.

-Jeannie Timken, Director of Digital Learning and School Library Services

Reflect

Looking to reflect on your current teaching practices? Want to learn and grow? Below are some professional learning opportunities as well as links to some of the many resources BCS Digital Learning & School Library Services provide!