MESMS Library Media Center

How to Tell a Story

2011-05-25T13:56:00.002-04:00

What is your favorite way to tell a story?
Do you use:
words?
gestures?
sounds?
music?
art?
photos?
video?
a combination of a few of the above?

Storytelling is a method of sharing information, events, dreams and more!

I discovered this amazing video on one of my favorite sites, TED.com, and wanted to share it with you. The topic is so beautifully simple and one that we often view as a nusiance during this time of year: Pollination.

View the video and share your thoughts and ideas in the comments area about the storytelling method (or is it an art?) that Filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg uses to enlighten us regarding this process that is vital to so much of life on Earth.

Credit: Schwartzberg, Louie. Louie Schwartzberg: The Hidden Beauty of Pollination. Louie Schwartzberg. TED Talks, 2011. TED Talks. Web. 25 May 2011..

Enjoy!
Mrs. Baratta

We're back!

2011-03-30T20:56:00.000-04:00

When a student told me that the MESMS LMC blog was accessible once again for students in school, today became a very happy day!

We're back!

Once again, I would like to extend an open invitation to MESMS students to become guest bloggers during lunch in the LMC. I hope you will join us!

Mrs. B

Waiting for a new LMC page

2011-03-27T19:41:00.000-04:00

Hi!

You are probably wondering why the content on our page hasn't been updated lately. Due to the new filters in our school, students are unable to view this blog.

We should be moving to a new page soon! Please keep checking back for our new page.

Thank you for your patience!

2010-10-15T20:15:00.000-04:00

"Impossible is a word only to be found in the dictionary of fools."
-Napoleon Bonaparte

What makes our library such a wonderful place? All of YOU!

What will make this LMC blog worthwhile? Blog entries by YOU!

The quote above is dedicated to our famous guest blogger, a.k.a. the Supreme Chancellor. I hope that you will continue the fine tradition he began last year and share your ideas, comments, and recommendations about great books for our students to read! Impossible? Not at all!

Let's talk about your blog entry soon!

Mrs. B

Welcome to a new school year!

2010-09-12T21:02:00.001-04:00

Welcome to our MESMS Library Media Center Blog!

Summer Vacation

2010-06-23T20:59:00.000-04:00

Happy Summer everyone!

I am taking off for the American Library Association annual conference in Washington, D.C. where public librarians and school librarians from around the country and around the world will meet.

As a member of The Top 25 Websites for Teaching and Learning committee, I have been working with committee members from around the country for the past year. We will present a full day workshop on Friday and on Sunday we will announce this year's winners of the Top 25 Websites for Teaching and Learning.

What will you be doing on your summer vacation? Blog about the fun things you are doing and the great books you are reading. BTW, is anyone using e-books or e-readers?

Have fun!

Mrs. B

Reading

2010-03-29T07:38:00.002-04:00

A good friend and colleague of mine, Mr. Monahan, shared this video on SchoolTube with me and I had to share it with you. We have been talking about things that you are passionate about in relation to the PSA projects that a number of you are creating. This video by students in Ocoee Middle School. While it is much longer than 30 seconds, the project got many members of the student body on their feet in support of reading! Fun and exciting. For those of you working on PSA's, you will notice that permission was received for the creators to use the Black-Eyed Peas song in a derivative form.

Enjoy the rest of your vacation! Keep reading!
Mrs. B

New Books Recommendations from the Supreme Chancellor

2010-02-12T11:11:00.001-05:00

Now that we are in the next decade, it is probably the right time to talk about upcoming books. Last year there were many really good books, and there is no indication that this year will be any different. Several series are going to get new books, like the latest in the Star Wars; Fate of the Jedi series.
One major series is the Fate of the Jedi. It is currently being written by several authors who have proven their worth in other books. To understand this series you will definitely want to read the Jedi Academy Series, which is set 14 years after Return of the Jedi. You would also want to have read the New Jedi Order series, which is made up of 19 books and the Legacy of the Force series of eight books. The New Jedi Order series deals with alien invaders from another galaxy, the Yuuzhan Vong, who invade the galaxy. They can be compared to the Aztecs; they sacrificed many people to their gods.

The Legacy of the Force deals with Jacen Solo, the son of Leia Organa and Han Solo. He falls to the Dark Side, and the books deal with his fall to the dark side and his eventual death. The Fate of the Jedi begins with Admiral Daala, who is a former Imperial Admiral who tried to end the Jedi Order (in the Jedi Academy Series). She issues several edicts to bring the Jedi under the control of the central government.

The latest book is called Backlash and is released to the world on March 9th 2010. After that expect Allies (May 25th 2010), Vortex (December 7th 2010), and Conviction (March or April 2011) followed by two more books later in the year.

Another new Star Wars book is Crosscurrent which is set in two time periods, 5,000 years before the battle of Yavin 4, and also 41.5 Years after the Battle of Yavin 4. It was released on the 26th of January this year, so I do not know much about it.

Some people may have read the Inheritance Cycle, a four book series. As of now, Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr are out. The fourth book may or may not come out this year, as Christopher Paolini, the author, has not yet released a date for publication. So far in the series, Eragon, the last Rider (of the Dragons) has learned of his abilities (in Eragon), found some of his dysfunctional family members (in Eldest) and gotten a sword that is “made” for him, Brisingr (not surprisingly in Brisingr). The fourth book might be released this year or next year, all we know right now is that the cover is a green dragon.
This year seems to be a promising year for readers; there are many new series that I find interesting, and many new books that can satisfy any type of reader. This wraps up the new books of 2010 section of this blog.

The Supreme Counselor Strikes Again!

2009-12-11T10:18:00.000-05:00

Imagine having to defend against an all-consuming Trading Empire. That’s just what happened in Star Wars: Episode One, The Phantom Menace. The movie is about a small world in the Mid to Outer Rim of a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Naboo.

The movie begins when the ambassadors of the Galactic Republic arrive at the remote world of Naboo. The Galactic Republic is a massive, intra-galactic organization consisting of almost 2,000 separate entities. The ambassadors are two Jedi. The Jedi are the force-wielding peacekeepers of the Republic. They arrived at Naboo because the Trade Federation blockaded the world, to extort the Republic into giving them special trade rights in the Outer Rim. But the Federation is not the only one behind this. They are secretly being led by a Sith, the arch-nemesis of the Jedi. Once the Jedi enter the flagship of the Federation fleet, they are led to a conference room and kept waiting. In the meantime, the star cruiser which brought them there is blown up and the Federation tries to poison them with dioxide, a type of fatal gas. Meanwhile, the Trade Federation lands on Naboo with their overwhelming robot-like droid armies. They capture the queen and pressure her to sign a treaty which gives them control, while they round up the people and send them to camps.

Will Naboo survive the invasion? Or will it be just the beginning of an invasion of the Outer Rim? The movie itself was very well done. But the book was even better. The book versions of all of the Star Wars books are good, mainly because you can tell what exactly the characters are thinking. The Phantom Menace gives you something to think about. It contains a higher message.

MESMS Book Blogger

2009-11-16T12:39:00.001-05:00

Please join me in welcoming the "Supreme Chancellor" with another fabulous book blog!

The Host is one of the best written novels I have ever read. It is written by Stephanie Meyer, the author of the Twilight saga; another popular series. The Host deals with the aftermath of an alien invasion. The aliens are more of a “conscious” than an actual being; they implant themselves into their ‘host’.

The story begins when Wanda, one of the aliens is implanted into a human’s body. The body was captured from a resistance member. Wanda is an alien who has been inside many bodies. She has lived on several worlds in different bodies. But humans are the first war-mongering society that the aliens have discovered. They don’t know that human bodies are fiercer in resisting the alien conscience than they are used to. Wanda is the “test”. Everyone before her has gone mad. After the original “owner” of the body ‘takes’ over once again, Wanda leaves the safety of the alien shelter and is captured by the resistance. She is then taken into a mountain sanctuary which the aliens have not yet discovered. There she finds someone who cares about her and soon it becomes something more. But when she meets someone that the original occupant of the body knew, she finds someone who hates her. Can she end the hatred, or will the aliens be driven off the planet?

The ending of The Host is one of the more special endings, the kind which leave you thinking. Can two totally different people learn to understand each other or will they dislike each other until the end of time?

And this week's guest blogger is...

2009-10-30T10:55:00.000-04:00

I have exciting news to share! Periodically we will feature guest bloggers, our very own MESMS students, who will be sharing their thoughts on all things related to libraries, books, and technology!

Today's Guest Blogger: The Supreme Chancellor (a very creative pen name!)

Science Fiction is one of the best genres of books to read. This genre offers many different views and plotlines; all of this offers wide possibilities when you read a book. With science fiction comes the science aspect of the book. This allows for any kind of complex of even simple new ideas, from robots to spaceships, nanotechnology to super lasers, hyperspace travel to air speeders. And with this you can have many different things happen.

One of the greatest science fiction authors of all time is Isaac Asimov. He is the reason science fiction became popular. His books include the I, Robot series and the Foundation novels. I personally like the Foundation novels, because they tell a tale which could not happen anywhere else. The book starts out on Trantor, a world which is remarkably similar to Coruscant. It is covered completely in a planetary city; the capital of the Galactic Empire. The Empire has lasted for 12,000 years, ruled by an all-powerful emperor. But over the last one hundred years several emperors have been assassinated and many more were just simply weak. The book starts here where Hari Seldon, a psychoanalyst – a scientist who can predict the future asks the Empire if he can found a colony on the fringes of the galaxy. The Empire will fall. The Foundation will rise again.
Another great series is by far one of the most known. If you guessed Star Wars, you are correct. Star Wars was created in 1974 by George Lucas, but was released as Star Wars: Episode 4 a New Hope; in 1977. At first Star Wars was just meant to be a one movie thing, but then it became the six part saga it is today. Star Wars was the story of the Skywalker family and their relationship with the galaxy. In Episode One, the remote world of Naboo was invaded by the Trade Federation. A Group of peace-keepers, the Jedi were dispatched to “save” Naboo. But they were attacked. They fled with the Queen to the world of Tatooine where they met Anakin Skywalker, a nine-year old. With his help they liberate Naboo. Episode Two continues the tale with the beginning of the Clone Wars, named after the Clones the Galactic Republic uses. Episode Three ends with the fall of the Jedi Order and the restructuring of the Republic as the First Galactic Empire. Episodes 4,5 and 6 see the rise of the Rebellion and the end of the Empire with the death of the Emperor. Luke Skywalker, the son of Anakin leads the Rebellion to Victory.
Science-Fiction has been an exciting henre to read, because anything can happen. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Welcome to the MESMS Library Media Center!

2009-09-04T22:40:00.000-04:00

Welcome to all sixth grade students and new students! Welcome back to seventh and eighth grade students! I am looking forward to a great year with all of you. I hope you had a terrific summer and found some wonderful books to read.

Share the titles and authors of great books you have read recently using the comment box below. Be sure to remain anonymous or just use your initials. All comments are moderated, so your post will not appear immediately.

The library media center is going to open for student use on Monday, September 14th. Please stop by to sign up for lunch passes as early in the day as possible! In case you are new to MESMS, lunch passes enable you to eat lunch in the cafeteria and then come up to the LMC to read, use computers, do homework or work on projects. Passes are limited!

Mrs. Vecchiolla, Mrs. Voss and I are looking forward to seeing you soon!

Mrs. B

Summer Fun!

2009-07-31T21:12:00.003-04:00

This day in history...fun facts in a 4 minute video from Slim Goodbody's Daily Almanac at Maryland Public Television. Enjoy!

Have a fantastic summer! We can't wait to hear about all of the great books you have read!

Students and Wikis and Podcasts...oh my!

2009-06-12T08:57:00.004-04:00

MESMS GlobalCast is new and improved! Listen to podcasts by our students! Travel back in time to Ancient Rome with Mrs. Potter and Mr. Marucci's 6th grade Social Studies class and catch 8th grade students as they visit the world of The Man in the Iron Mask.

Click on the link to the right to visit our MESMS GlobalCast wiki. Share your thoughts and comment on the podcasts in the comment box provided.

Enjoy!

Test Drive an Acer Notebook

2009-05-01T09:35:00.003-04:00

We are very fortunate to have the opportunity over the next few days to test drive an Acer netbook in the library media center. Students and staff are invited to experiment with the netbook using Open Office applications and the Internet. Please complete the survey by clicking the link at the bottom of this entry. Your opinion counts!

Directions for Use:
Log onto the netbook the way you normally log onto any computer in the district.

After logging on, you must turn off the “Num Lock.” Do this by depressing the blue Fn key (located on the lower left-hand side of the keyboard) and at the same time depress the function key F11 twice.

Open Office
You won’t find MS Office on this netbook. We chose to install Open Office instead. Open Office is a free Office Suite totally compatible with the Microsoft Office Suite.

To access Open Office, go to START, PROGRAMS, Open Office. Give it a test drive and let us know what you think. Check out the Open Office website to learn more.

Your Opinion Counts!
After using the netbook, please visit the survey link located on the District home page. We would like to hear your thoughts. The survey link is on the district website on the right hand side of the page. It’s called Netbook Survey for Students and Staff. Click on the survey link below to complete the survey.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=NVIFuoUyhdicEOCadNVW0A_3d_3d

Creative Commons

2009-04-14T07:17:00.004-04:00

Creative Commons allows use of material, including posting on the Internet, with a variety of permission types. Images, sound and other material may be used without any permission, some permission, or direct permission from the creator.

Creative Commons is different from copyrighted material which may not be used on the Internet without permission.

Creative Commons guidelines for use:
ALWAYS check the Creative Commons license posted on all material for the type of credit you must give. There are 6 different types of licenses. Follow the guidelines for using each type appropriately.

Confused? View this slide show that explains everything you need to know about Creative Commons. http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Sharing_Creative_Works

Practice ethical use of technology. Always cite your source!

Please be aware that searching for appropriate images and audio can be a very challenging and time consuming task. The links listed below provide appropriate resources for school curriculum related topics at the time of posting. However, due to the ever-changing nature of the Internet, search results are always changing. If you discover any inappropriate content, please report the site immediately so it may be removed.

To access a list of links for audio and image resources, please click on the MESMS LMC Links found on the right.

Get Smart!

2009-02-06T07:23:00.003-05:00

Did you ever wonder what we do in the LMC on Staff Development Days?

First thing this morning, while you are snug in bed snoozing, all of the library media specialists in the district will meet at the Mohansic library media center. We will talk about new ways to use a variety of technology in the library media center.

Later in the morning I will return to MESMS to teach a SmartBoard class with Mr. D'Auria to all of the MESMS Certified Teaching Assistants (CTA's). They will learn the basics of how to use the SmartBoard for teaching and learning.

All of us together, students, teachers, CTA's, administrators, and all support staff, work together every day as a community of learners. Today we will take time to focus on our role as learners to make our time with you better than ever. Learning never ends, it continues over our lifetime. I hope that you find a passion, something that you love to be involved with or do, in school or outside of school, that motivates you to keep learning.

What are your thoughts about SmartBoards at MESMS? Share them here by posting a comment.

Enjoy the day!

Happy Groundhog Day!

2009-02-02T12:04:00.001-05:00

Check on Punxsutawney Phil's prediction for 2009 and learn everything you ever needed to know about Groundhog Day at the official site:

http://www.groundhog.org/

Enjoy!

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T07:27:00.009-05:00

Take part in our nation's peaceful transition of power and learn about the history behind the Inauguration by visiting these links:

NewsHour on PBS for live streaming coverage and more
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/white_house/inauguration2009/

CNN for live streaming coverage and more
http://www.cnn.com/

ABC for live streaming coverage and more
http://www.abcnews.go.com/

CBS for live streaming coverage and more
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/08/national/inauguration09/main4707733.shtml

MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27721638/

New York Times video news reports
http://video.on.nytimes.com/
Take a look: An Invitation to History
Spann Watson, a 92-year-old Tuskegee airman from Westbury, N.Y., flew in Harry Truman's inauguration ceremonies in 1949. Mr. Watson returned to D.C. with a special invitation to Barack Obama's swearing-in.

New York Times Learning Network facts, news, history, daily news quiz
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/index.html

The Library of Congress American Memory Collection presents the history of the Inauguration through video, pictures, and words, including Oaths of Office
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/pihtml/pihome.html

President -elect Obama will be sworn in at 11:46 today.

Enjoy!

Martin Luther King, Jr.

2009-01-15T08:19:00.002-05:00

Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday by visiting these sites to discover his contributions to the civil rights movement.

Listen to his famous "I Have a Dream" speech:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

The King Center
http://www.thekingcenter.org/

The National Civil Rights Museum
http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/home.htm

Scholastic News and Articles
http://teacher.scholastic.com/researchtools/articlearchives/honormlk/index.htm

Martin Luther King, Jr. Quiz
http://www.surfnetkids.com/games/king-sw.htm

Have you read any good books lately?

2008-12-11T11:35:00.006-05:00

I am thrilled to see so many books flying off the shelves the past few weeks! Several titles even have reserve lists!

One title in particular has quite a long reserve list...can you guess which one? If you guessed Twilight, by Stephanie Meyers, you are right! This young adult novel combines romance, fantasy, and horror for an exciting read.

Fans have reported that the movie is not quite as good as the book. What do you think? Compare the book with the movie and describe what you liked and/or what you disliked and explain what you (if you were the author or screen writer) would do differently or keep the same in the comment section below.

If you are a fan or someone who just hasn't found time to find time to read the book, I have great news for you! We will kick off this year's Lunch Bunch Book Club in January with Twilight. Check back next week for details about signing up and the start date.

Our second most requested titles are written by Angie Sage, author of the Septimus Heap fantasy series. Follow Septimus on thrilling adventures that usually involve princesses, magic, wizards, and a cast of fascinating and creepy creatures.

Post your comments by clicking the comments link below. Posted comments appear first. Type your comments in the box provided. You may post your initials only, no names please. Under Choose an identity, click on the anonymous button. Then click the button labeled Publish your comment.

Happy reading!

To Blog or Not to Blog

2008-11-20T13:16:00.007-05:00

Have you noticed that our MESMS LMC homepage has changed? This new page is actually a blog instead of a regular webpage. What's the difference? A blog is short for weblog. The wonderful thing about a blog is that it is not a static, view only, webpage. It is an interactive page. Anyone who visits the page can add comments and share their thoughts about the topic currently posted.

I hope that you will make frequent comments to our blog so that we will be able to have many exciting conversations about a wide variety of topics throughout the year. We may even have conversations that are shared around the world!

Please share your thoughts about this new homepage format. Do you like it or not? Why or why not? When you post a comment using the link below, please do not use your name, use only your initials.

Coming soon....

Check back for the starting date for our Lunch Bunch Book Club!

Lots of Links
Explore these links for Thanksgiving!
http://www.plimoth.org/education/olc/index_js2.html

Plimoth PlantationYou are the Historian...investigating the first Thanksgiving

(please ask for headphones when using this site)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/colonialhouse/teachers/pilgrims/1.htmlPilgrim's Progress

An interactive activity from PBS's production Colonial House
http://www.macys.com/campaign/parade/parade.jsp

The official site of Macy's 82nd Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC!

Welcome Back!

2008-09-07T21:18:00.002-04:00

I hope you had a great summer and took some time to relax, have fun and read lots of fantastic books! If you have a book or two (or hopefully more!) that you would like to recommend, consider creating your own podcast and share what you enjoyed with other students here at MESMS, or around the globe, as they search for a good read.

Podcasting is easy and fun. Your podcast can be long or short, recorded by you alone or with a friend or two. It can include original artwork, graphics, comics etc. Just no video (yet...). In case you haven't visited our podcast page I invite you to check out posted podcasts by visiting the MESMS GlobalCast link in the Hot Spots and News section to the right.

I am thrilled to be back and look forward to working with each of you throughout the year!

Mrs. B