March Project PLN: The 21st Century Library

Hot off the press, the March issue of Project PLN is here! This month we focused on reading, we got fantastic posts about reading, 21st century libraries and media specialists.  This is a fantastic issue packed with great ideas and a clear passion for literacy.  We hope you enjoy the March issue and will contribute to the April issue!

For the April issue: Mistakes. We have all made them. Sometimes it is easy to forget about them and move on, but we feel that mistakes are an important part of what makes an educator. We tell students to learn from their mistakes because it will help them grow as a person. Educators are not different. We love to share are greatest success with the world, but sometimes our slips can provide support for all of the teachers out there who think they are the only one to make a mistake.  Share your learning with all of us by sending your posts (remember these can be re-posts you have already written.  Send us what you’ve got to projectpln10@gmail.com


projectpln10 – The March Issue – The 21st Century Library

Create Your OpenZine

 

Once again, thank you to all who contribute and help Nick (@thenerdyteacher) and I pull this off each month.  I feel so lucky to be working with Nick to pull these outstanding posts together into one magazine that I get to share with all of you!  It is fun to meet more of our PLN up-close and personal.

Mrs. P’s Magic Library

 

What it is: I heard about this wonderful website from Larry Ferlazzo on his blog last week and have been exploring it ever since.  Mrs. P’s Magic Library is a free website for kids that celebrates reading and books.  Mrs. P is the librarian at the Magic Library, she brings story time to life with video stories and read-alongs.  Her library also features fun animated games and lots of crazy characters that students will love.   When students enter this virtual library they will have access to Mrs. P reading them a story, fun interactive games, and videos (lots more to explore!!).  The whole idea behind the library is to introduce students to great literature read to them in classic story-time style (not just listening to an audio book).  This virtual library is about as close as you can get to the real thing!  Your students will love Mrs. P.

 

How to integrate Mrs. P’s Magic Library into the classroom:    Mrs. P’s Magic Library is an outstanding addition to any classroom.  Use Mrs. P.com as a place to begin silent reading one day a week.  Use a projector and speakers so that Mrs. P can read to your class before they begin their silent reading time.  Mrs. P’s excellent storytelling abilities will have even your reluctant readers eager to read.  Tell parents about Mrs. P so that students can enjoy the virtual library from school or home.  Mrs. P’s Magic Library makes a great reading/ listening center and the options to read along or listen make it ideal for any students ability level.

 

Tips:   Mrs. P’s Magic Library requires high speed Internet access because of all the video and interactive games on the site.  This one may eat up some serious bandwidth in a computer lab setting!

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Mrs. P’s Magic Library in your classroom.

Web Tools 4U2 Use


What it is: Web Tools 4U2 Use is an incredible wiki created for school library media specialists to learn about cool new web tools, learn how they can be used in school library media programs, and share ideas and success stories. The links, tips, and information on this site are valuable for school library specialists but also for classroom teachers. Many of the ideas and tools on this site are ideal for classroom integration as well. The wiki is well organized and easy to navigate. Each section of the wiki gives “Five to Test Drive” giving the top 5 resources in each category and then “More to Explore” which gives additional resources and ideas on how they are being used in library media centers. You will also find links to tutorials and more information.

How to integrate Web Tools 4U2 Use into the classroom: Are you in need of some inspiration for your classroom? Looking for tools to help increase productivity? Need to make some brownie points with your school library media specialist? Web Tools 4U2 Use is a great site to share with colleagues, particularly your school library media specialist. Use this wiki as a place to be inspired, share with others, and learn. The wiki has excellent tools for you professionally to grow, as well as ideas for using web tools in your classroom.

Tips: Definitely send this site along to your school library media specialists, they will love it!

Leave a comment and share how you are using Web Tools 4U2 Use in your classroom.