Monday, April 23, 2012

Helping Patrons Help Themselves

One of the goals I have as a Media Specialist is to teach my patrons how to locate the materials they need and want without assistance.  Of course, I am always willing to help, but if they can find it on their own, they won't have to wait for me to be free to assist them.

I am (hopefully) accomplishing this goal by interweaving my Genre of the Month lessons with lessons about call numbers, sections in the Media Center and using Destiny, our online catalog.

This month I taught a lesson about fantasy fiction to my second, third, fourth, and fifth grade classes and reviewed the different sections of the Media Center as well as how to locate a book using Destiny.  I made a PowerPoint to discuss these items and at the end of the lesson, I had students do an activity where they had to look at the call number of a book and tell what section of the Media Center they would go to find the book.  I emphasized the importance of using the provided search slips next to the computers to write down the title and call number of the book so that they wouldn't have to run back and forth from the computer to the shelves if they forgot what they were looking for.  I think it has worked because I am finding search slips all over the Media Center.  Apparently I needed to remind them to throw their search slips away once they locate a book, not leave them on the shelves.  LOL  At least they are using the slips.


If you're interested in the activity sheet, you can get a copy here. Please note that this file is NOT editable.


You can also snag a copy of the search slips I use here.  Please note that this file is NOT editable.

Hope you can use these.  =)



8 comments:

  1. I have just started following your blog and I love it! We have just introduced Destiny at our school and as the TL, I am going to be teaching the students how to use it. I love your activity!! Do you have any other suggestions for introducing it to the students for the first time? (and thank you for sharing so much on your blog, I am now following you on FB and Pinterest!!!)

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    1. Well, there's a question with a long answer...I would suggest training both teachers and students about searching Destiny. It will come in handy to have teachers know how to look for items they need. I also suggest showing students how to use Destiny Quest and Web Path Express. These are features that will both be fun and helpful to them. I would do this in 3 different lessons, maybe paired with another lesson. It will also be helpful to go over call numbers and what those mean, especially if you have special call numbers like I have a special call number (WF) for the Wildcat Favorites section. And review it throughout the year. Destiny isn't something that most patrons use everyday, so they may need lots of reminding about how to use it.

      Thanks so much for becoming a follower. I hope you continue to find stuff you can use. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. You can email me, too. =)

      jnase1@gmail.com

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  2. Awesome, Jo! Thanks for sharing this! I have blank slips of paper by our search computers, but I like your forms better!

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  3. Oooh, that is pretty with all the bookcovers. I like it. Do you actually copy that for everyone or put it in a sheet protector and use dry erase markers?

    I also like the nice forms. Only that is what we do with all of our "scratch paper" ... instead of recycling right away when we have extras of things. Cut it up into fours and put it by the computer catalogs. Must think ... save paper versus better reminders for students. Drat. That is a hard call.

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    1. I do copy it for everyone, but I do two per page and then cut the page in half. But you could use the sheet protector and actually have a colored worksheet. I like that idea! And it would save paper, too. =)

      I make the forms with scratch paper, too. I just put it in backwards in the copier so it prints on the blank side. We always have a stack of miscopied stuff in our workroom, so I just use those.

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  4. do you have a copy of the powerpoint?

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    1. You can find my fantasy/science fiction PowerPoint for sale in my TpT store, but it does not include information about Destiny or call numbers because my call numbers won't match everyone else since I have special sections in my media center.

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