McAlder Blog

Here are just a few highlights from what is happening in our library and technology world at the McAlder Campus:

Our students are taking the saying “Readers are Leaders” to heart and are well on their way to breaking last year’s AR records. So far, they have already completed over 73% of our annual AR goal and have read over 111,600,000 words while we are not even done yet with the 3rd Quarter of the school year!

To get new books into our students’ hands, we will host two book fairs this year. We will be partnering with companies that offer a broad selection of prescreened books that align with Christian values. First we will have an I:55 book fair in April, followed by a SkyTree book fair in June, just in time to start summer break with new books!   So, stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the book fair dates.

In February, I attended the annual NCCE (Northwest Council for Computer Education) conference  and was able to bring new ideas and new technology back to our campus. During the Teacher Librarian Summit, I was able to exchange ideas and tips with about 150 other school librarians from not just the PNW but across the US. The conference also gave teachers and administrators the chance to meet with a variety of vendors to find out about new technology, software and learning programs. During one of the meetings, I was introduced to MergeEdu and their cube, a hands-on digital learning platform that helps students learn science and STEM effectively with 3D objects and simulations.  With the help of their programs, we can now support learning in our classrooms by bringing our science curriculum to life in 3D! While this technology is quite exciting, I am even more excited about a blessing that our campus received from one of the vendors of the conference — a new smart board for our computer lab!

Due to a generous donation from one of our families, I was able to purchase BeeBots for our campus.  BeeBots are hands-on robots that can be programmed by younger students, and we have been using them in conjunction with some of the story books I have in the library. Our 6th graders have already been using Ozobots in the classroom and are learning to program the bots via color coding on paper or via online. This will prepare the students for junior high where they can take classes in coding or robotics. One of the robotics classes will spend time with our 5th and 6th grade students, during the month of March, to introduce them to learning opportunities that await them in future years at CCS.  

It’s such a joy to share with you all—just a little bit about my reading and technology work with these students!