Google Apps Archives - Staying Cool in the Library

8 Ways to Use Google Forms in the School Library

As school librarians, we have so much to keep track of! Students and entire classes come to us all day long, which we absolutely love! But before we know it, we’re buried under stacks of books, juggling eight post-it notes of reminders, and our email notifications are going off like crazy. To top it all off, we can’t even find that one important email we need. What if I told you there’s a way to turn this mess into organized chaos? Today, I’m going to share how I use Google Forms in the school library to streamline everything with this must-have Google Forms resource! Why use Google Forms in the School Library? If you haven’t started using Google Forms in your library yet, you’re missing out! Google Forms can be a game-changer when it comes to your school library’s systems. It offers endless ways to gather valuable information that

Digital Breakouts – Frequently Asked Questions

Digital breakouts provide students a way to work collaboratively and use problem solving skills to open digital locks. A digital breakout or escape can be used to teach any concept or skill, and they are a wonderful way to promote 21st century skills like collaboration, communication and critical thinking. Below I’ll share my answers to digital breakouts frequently asked questions. How do I prepare a digital breakout? Very little prep is required to use a digital breakout with your students. They are completely technology based and paperless. You will not have to spend an hour at the copy machine getting all your materials ready. All this is required is access to an internet enabled device and a free Google account. If your students do not have their own accounts, you can create a shared account for your class. This will allow all your students to log-in to one account

Biography Research Reports – Print and Digital

These Biography Research Reports can be used for any famous person including historical, current musicians or entertainers or sports stars. There are many different options in both the print and digital versions so you can easily customize the reports to fit the needs of your students. The reports can be used with any sources you have available: library books, encyclopedia articles, articles, online reference sources or internet sites. Print Biography Research Reports There are over 20 pages included in the print reports. Each set comes in color and black and white, with writing lines and without writing lines. Template/pages list: Students can write specific facts about their person on these pages. The personal information sheet will help guide their research by having them answer questions. They can record dates and events on the timeline page and use the summary page to bring all the facts together. On these pages,

Digital and Print Activities to Teach Author’s Purpose

I have always enjoyed teaching author’s purpose to my students. It is so easy to incorporate in any of the lessons I teach across all grade levels. Several years ago I even used it as my professional goal. This is when I developed more in-depth lessons and activities for the subject. And for some reason, I usually teach author’s purpose in November. I”m not sure why maybe just because the PIE acronym that we all use fits so well with Thanksgiving! Read below to see some of the ways I teach my students the different reasons authors write. Digital Activities for Teaching Author’s Purpose These activities can be used with Google Slides. I like using these for two main reasons. One is their paperless. I’m really trying to cut back on the number of copies I do each week. And of course, my school encourages this as well. Second, the

Digital Rewards for the School Library

Classroom management can be quite an adventure for librarians and other “specials” teachers. We’ve all been there trying to keep things on track when we only see our students once a week for a brief session. Kids often see their specials time as a chance to chat with friends and take a break from the regular school grind. Plus, knowing they won’t get a grade for our activities can make them think they don’t need to put in the effort. With so much to cover in such a short time, it’s easy to miss some of the mischief. That’s why today, I’m excited to share a fantastic system that uses digital rewards to keep students motivated and focused on the task at hand! How Did the Digital Rewards System Get Its Start? Over the years, I’ve tried all sorts of systems to encourage positive behavior. I’ve done sticker charts,

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8 Ways to Use Google Forms in the School Library

Digital Breakouts – Frequently Asked Questions

Biography Research Reports – Print and Digital

Digital and Print Activities to Teach Author’s Purpose

Digital Rewards for the School Library

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