eBooks at BA!

As I am sure all parents of BA students know, this year we required each of our students to have a public library card. As part of our technology use this year, students will learn how to access the wealth of online, free materials available to them via the public library. During the summer, students were asked to check out a book, using ebooks, for practice. During the month of September, every student again will do so as part of a learning activity during reading or language arts class.

Research shows that libraries as we remember them as children, or even five years ago, are beginning to look very different and will look quite different in the very near future. Having access to books and magazines via your computer or iPad, being able to check books out and return them online, without ever leaving your home or classroom, makes eBooks the preferred way to access reading material by our many.

I recognize that many of us hear this news and feel a bit saddened by this change. Reading on a phone or an iPad seems so different from the way we did when we were kids. Most of us still prefer the comfort of curling up with a good book at home or on the beach. It seems hard to imagine that reading on a device could compare to that comfort feeling.

However, I encourage all parents to give it a try. I personally felt the exact same way. Then I tried it myself. I went to the library this past spring and received the first library card that I have had since I was a child. Like most adults, I normally read books that I purchase from bookstores. Once I had my library card, I went onto the library website and checked out my first ebook. My goal was simply to know the process so that I could share it with teachers. Once I started reading my first book on my computer I was hooked. First, my book it now with me all of the time, since my computer or my phone is with me all of the time. When I am stuck waiting somewhere, such as the doctor's office or in a long line at the post office, I have my book with me everywhere. I also love that reading on my computer is easier on my eyes. I no longer need to carry a book light with me in order to be able to read. My computer or device has a backlight making reading so much easier on my vision. I also can increase the font size as well, which also makes reading a joy. But the thing I love most about checking out books via ebooks is that they are free and easy to access! I know, all books at the library are free. But since I am so very busy, I can now check books out from my home at any time of the day or night. I can check out every book from my favorite author, even if I am not sure I will enjoy the book. In the past, I might have decided not to purchase books at the bookstore based on the summary. But with ebooks, since I can check out books and try them out for free, I am reading many more books than ever before.

I also have heard the same thing about the students. In middle school, students who are not usually "readers" are finding reading more enjoyable when they can access lots of books on their devices. We now hear about students reading in the car on their phones and checking out other books by the author of books they have read in class. It is very satisfying to hear that this initiative is doing exactly what we hoped: finding a new way to get reading material into the hands of students.

As I discussed in my previous post, paper books are still available to students at BA. We certainly are not a school that believes in throwing away one thing in favor of another. To the contrary, we believe in providing as many different modalities as possible to allow our students to grow as learners and as individuals. Each of our lower school classrooms now has a huge collection of grade appropriate books right in their classrooms. The students are able to access these books every day, not just a couple times per month as was the case when the books were housed in a central location. We are finding that since we have rearranged our collection in this way, books that used to sit on the bookshelf untouched in the old library are now being read by students since they are easier to find in their classrooms.

TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOMS

Grade/Class: 1A

Teacher: Mrs. Smith

Subject: Spelling and Vocabulary

App or website: Spelling City (It is both an app and a website)

Spelling City incorporates our spelling words and lets students do games and activities to practice spelling. Some of the games include "Hang Mouse," "Word Search" and "Word Unscramble." Student can also take a practice test with their words. 

This app enhanced learning by providing additional practice with spelling words in a novel, highly engaging format.

Student feedback: We did this activity last week on the SMARTboard, and students enjoyed playing the games! They especially loved Hang Mouse! We will be going to the Technology Center tomorrow so that students can practice their words on the iPads. I sent the link home for parents and I have heard a lot of feedback about how the students liked practicing by doing the games. 

Grade/Class: 5th

Teacher: Mrs. V

Subject: Language Arts

App or website: Website

Students watched Weird Al’s “Word Crime” video for insight into common grammar mistakes. The music video format engaged the students and we used it as a springboard for discussion about mistakes featured in the video. Students then picked their own word crime from what we discussed and made their own PowerPoint presentations about them.

This site makes grammar alive and relevant, and makes it a fun start-up activity.

Student feedback: Students loved the video! Some told me that they listened to the song again at home; now students will say “Word Crime” if they notice one, and they also enjoyed making the PowerPoint (many of which were clever and hilarious in their own way (e.g. “Lettuce” talk about it)