Our school will be partnering with BrightBytes, an educational research and analytics organization, so that we can learn more about our school’s technology use for student learning. Our goal is to gather metrics on technology access and skills, and on our school’s technology environment, in order to understand the connection between technology use and student achievement. This will be done through a comprehensive framework called CASE that looks at the Classroom factors, Access to technology, teacher and student Skills and Environmental factors.

To gain these insights, we must provide BrightBytes with a complete picture of technology use at school and at home. We will be asking students, teachers, and parents to participate in the project and to provide input.

Your participation is important to us and will make the difference between having a complete versus a limited understanding of our school’s technology use.  All links for this survey can be found on the Malvern LC home page.  Please help us by:

1. Taking the Teacher & Staff survey: http://www.bbyt.es/Q63DT 
2. Arrange a time for all students Grades 3-5 to come to the library and take the student survey.  This CAN also be taken on any computer or device.  
3. Encouraging parents to take the survey.  We will have all computers set up for this during Open House.  It is on the homepage, it is on FB, PLEASE share it with all parents and encourage participation.

Explorer Stations
Please use these however you can.  Individual kids, small groups or whole class. I created a great handout about this space, if you have volunteers or mentors that visit the LC with your students, please consider printing this and giving them a copy.  If YOU have something you would like to see in the Explorers Stations please let me know!  I am always open to ideas and would love to see more kids using this.   If you have specific EXPECTATIONS for your students, please talk to them about these ahead of time and if possible send something with them that communicates this (sticky note, handout, anything).  If I can help make use of these stations better for teachers, PLEASE let me know!
Current Explorer Station:  Create a Valentine
Please feel free to send students to the LC to create some great valentines!  Feel free to add your own twist or rules to the challenge.   For example 4th grade is working on prefixes and suffixes so they might require students to create a valentine using at least one of each, or have a contest to see which Valentine can be written using the MOST prefixes and suffixes. 
Former Explorer Stations:  These are available on the MalvernLC weebly and in a binder in the LC.  Students are always welcome to go back and revisit old challenges. 
 
Announcements:  We are trying to make announcements more interesting.  Our announcers love to add the jokes and the riddles are their idea too.  For the riddle I am going to try to make it more high tech and immediate.  Your class should listen closely and the first class to TEXT me with the correct answer will be our winners.  We will announce the winner that day!
 
March is READING Month!  We have a lot planned!

• Dr. Seuss Reading is Awesome K-3 assembly 8:30am on March 2nd.  I need many volunteers to help:
  • Teachers willing to challenge a student in Dr Seuss TRIVIA
  • A Cat in the Hat MC:  would you be GREAT at this?!  I will help, but I need someone to lead the cheers (and wear the cat suit)!
  • We will also do some singing and just get pumped for READING!
• March 2nd Read Across America Day
  • Guest Readers will be arranged for classes that want them
  • Each class is encouraged to have at least 30 minutes of DEAR (drop everything and read) time
  • March Madness Voting opens
    • Voting is for the BEST Bluebonnet books.  Check out the pairings here:  http://malvernlc.weebly.com/tournament-of-books.html
    • Each class is encouraged to read AT least one pair!  Let me know if you need recommendations or books checked out to you.
    • Students are encouraged to KEEP READING these books!  I have MANY PRIZES ready to give out!  Please feel free to re-print and remind students about our Leaders are Readers incentives

Color Printer:  The color printer IS back up and printing.  Again, PLEASE print to this printer with the utmost of care.  Only print things that NEED to be in color and print only files you trust.  To access the color printer you will need to UNINSTALL what you have and reinstall the new printer with IP Address:  10.28.10.5
 
Wish List:  I am posting a HUGE WISH LIST display near my office for students to contribute to, but would LOVE to hear your wishes too.  Please let me know if there are any books or materials that you would like to see in the Malvern collection.
 
Technology:  I just came back from TCEA and my head is spinning with great ideas and new learnings.  If you have NOT looked at See-Saw yet, GO check it out:  http://see-saw.dreamhosters.com/  I would LOVE to get MANY Malvern teachers using this next year.  I also love Pear Deck, ReWordify, Quill, Ifttt, Doodle Buddy and so many many more that I will share over time.
 
Anything else?!  If you need anything or have upcoming research, technology or any projects I might be able to help with….please let me know.  I am here to support you!