Mar
19
Login to Destiny to Search the Databases
March 19, 2012 | Libraries | Leave a Comment
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No need to go to each of the libraries’ research databases when looking for information to answer a research question… Students in grades 3-12 (and all staff!) can now login to your school’s Destiny Library Catalog – using the same username and password as you do for the school network - to find information in the library databases — or in selected websites such as Kahn, NASA, Ted Talks or ERIC . Watch this brief overview: Databases in Destiny Catalog Parents – need a login? Contact your school library teacher.
Mar
13
Destiny Catalog – There’s an App for that!
March 13, 2012 | Libraries | Leave a Comment
Go to the app store on your smart phone or tablet and search Destiny Quest or Follett Software to find the Destiny App. Connect to your library by entering http://destiny.k12.waltham.ma.us
Feb
26
Fountas and Pinnell reading levels in Destiny Catalog
February 26, 2012 | Libraries, Literature Appreciation | Leave a Comment
In addition to flexibly scheduled times in the library where teachers and library teacher co-teach, elementary students have weekly scheduled visits to their school library for the purpose of checking out books. While Library Teachers encourage students to browse and select materials of personal interest, students are also encouraged to select a “just-right” book to read. In support of the elementary reading program, the Destiny Library catalogs 
now have the search capability to search the book collection for Fountas and Pinnell guided reading levels. Click here to see how one Library Teacher has shared this with teachers. See also: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding the Waltham School District’s Elementary Reading Levels.
Nov
1
Who are our 9th graders?
November 1, 2011 | 21st Century Skills | Leave a Comment
The current 9th graders (266 out of 339) , when scheduled for their first class in the library in the Fall, took an online survey the survey said:
88% of students have an Internet connected computer at home.
79% reported that the computer was 3 years old or newer.
89% of the students have a cell phone.
Aug
15
Successmaker Pilot: Math and Reading
August 15, 2011 | Math, Reading | 3 Comments
113 students in the English Language Learner Summer Enrichment Program and 87 students in grades 3 and 4 in the Summer Math & Literacy Program piloted the new Successmaker programs during the 4 week summer programs.
The students in the English Language Learner Summer Enrichment Program used the Reading program and the students in grades 3 and 4 used the Math Concepts and Skills program. The goal was for each student to use Successmaker at least 3 times per week for 20 minute sessions. The average gain for students enrolled in the Math program was .9 months and the average gain for students enrolled in the Reading program was 1.1 months.
The new Successmaker program is web-based so that it can be used in school and at home. The Waltham Public Schools have been given 45 licenses to pilot for July, August and September.
Students were asked to check home computers to see if their home computers could access the Successmaker programs. 61% of the 95 students who responded reported that they have a home computer that connects to the Internet. Of those 61% students who responded 32% – or 27 students – reported that their home computer passed the test to use Successmaker on a home computer.
The pilot continues through August and September and we hope the students with home access continue to use the program (7 students have continued to login in the month of August).
Anyone with an iPad can download the free App, Successmaker SpeedGames. SpeedGames were also used by students in the Pilot program. When students finished their math session they were encouraged to use Speed Games on the computer to practice basic math facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Jun
7
Volunteers Rock
June 7, 2011 | Libraries, Literature Appreciation | Leave a Comment
Over 100 volunteers worked in our school libraries this year. Their roles are varied but the one thing all volunteers have in common is that their efforts support Library Teachers so that they can focus on teaching. An appreciation brunch was held in honor of all the volunteers who gave their time to the school libraries. See the pictures that Kathy May, Library Teacher at Kennedy, assembled here.
The guest speaker at the brunch was Pat Keogh, who book-talked her favorite new books. Go to our K-8 school library catalogs and look for the Resource List “Pat Keogh – Volunteers” for a list of titles in your school library.
May
13
Check It Out! Check it Out!
May 13, 2011 | Libraries, Literature Appreciation | Leave a Comment
Plympton School Library: Check It Out! The Plympton Elementary School Library was recognized as one of the exemplary school library programs across the nation when it was selected for the American Association of School Libraries’ (AASL) Vision Tour. On May 13, 2011, the president of AASL, Nancy Everhart, visited the Plympton School to see the library program and meet with the Library Teacher, Judi Paradis. The Vision Tour was created to raise the profile of what an outstanding school library can do for students, as well as the school and local community. See MSLA photos and Check It Out (Plympton School Library)! Vision Tour on YouTube
Apr
25
Type to Learn 4
April 25, 2011 | Technology Skills | Leave a Comment
As of Spring, 2011, our K-8 students can practice their keyboarding skills, not only in school, but also from an Internet connected computer in a home. Students can download the same keyboarding program used in elementary and middle schools to a personal computer. Students log in from home with the same username and password and continue their lessons where they last left off. Click here for more information.
Dec
14
Not Your Mother’s… Not Your Father’s… Card Catalog
December 14, 2010 | 21st Century Skills, Libraries | Leave a Comment
Our “library catalogs” have been upgraded to a new web-based solution, called Destiny – see http://destiny.k12.waltham.ma.us/ . Destiny is a 21st Century solution – where the students and staff no longer need to be in the school library to access the resources of the library. The public interface of Destiny (or Destiny Quest) displays The Top 10 Books checked out in each school library, as well as New Arrivals as they are added to the collection and Resource Lists created by the library staff. The features of Destiny in the Waltham Public Schools are:
access to library records from any Internet connected computers 24/7, e.g. school or at home.- reserve books online.
- start or join virtual book clubs.
- see one’s own borrowing history
- renew books online.
- check out e-books
- write a reviews of a book
- “friend” others to recommend books
- see books covers
Nov
7
Public Library Cards
November 7, 2010 | Libraries, Literature Appreciation | Leave a Comment
Working in conjunction with the Waltham Public Schools, Kate Tranquada, Library Director of the Waltham Public Library, analyzed data to determine the number of students, K-12, in the Waltham Public Schools with Waltham Public Library cards.
Kate also analyzed the data and made some comparisons by school. As a result of the analysis, the Waltham Public Library staff targeted three elementary schools and attended the September Back-to-School nights at those schools. Aileen Sanchez, Children’s Librarian, Waltham Public Library, set up a table in the foyer of the Whittemore School and provided an opportunity to sign-up for a public library card that evening – on-the spot. Nancy Rea, Children’s Librarian, Waltham Public Library, did the same at the Stanley Elementary School and MacArthur Elementary School.
For more information about obtaining a public library card click here.
Oct
4
MSLA Conference: Working Smarter
October 4, 2010 | 21st Century Skills, Libraries, Literature Appreciation | 1 Comment
Waltham Library Teachers attended the yearly MSLA conference on October 3rd and 4th. At the conference it was announced that the Plympton School Library program (Judi Paradis, Library Teacher), has been selected as 1 of the top 50 school library programs in nation and will be on the AASL President’s Vision Tour later this school year. Congratulations to Judi! We are proud of this recognition and proud that all library programs in Waltham are staffed with full-time professional Library Teachers who work in a flexible-schedule program to integrate information literacy skills (and technology literacy skills!) into the curriculum. Library Teachers also promote literature appreciation and Mary Kenslea, Library Teacher at Whittemore Elementary School, 
and Judi Paradis, Library Teacher at Plympton elementary School presented Let’s Read – Building a Reading Buzz in the Library. The Waltham High School Library was also highlighted as a library program that has transformed into the learning commons model. See the highlights here. Also check out AASL’s Best Websites for Teaching and Learning . Waltham Library Teachers’ share their notes in a wiki. See all the MSLA handouts here.
Sep
1
Library Benchmarks
September 1, 2010 | Libraries | Leave a Comment
Elementary Library Teachers published grade level Elementary Library Benchmarksthat map the Waltham Library Benchmarks to the October 2009 revision of the Massachusetts’s School Library Association’s Information Literacy Benchmarks. The Elementary Library Benchmarks website includes lesson plans organized by grade level and by school.
May
7
Alphasmart Neos in the Classroom
May 7, 2010 | Technology Integration | 2 Comments
The students in Mrs. Gold’s grade 2 SEI class at MacArthur School used Alphasmart Neos in their classroom to write thank-you letters to Peter Reynolds (from Fablevision) who visited their school on Monday. Alphasmart Neos are available in every elementary school in Waltham. The Alphasmart Neos run on AA batteries and make for a very easy-to-use technology in the classroom to support writing.
Apr
27
Bentley University Student Services and Cluster Challenge
April 27, 2010 | 21st Century Skills, Technology Integration | 1 Comment
Today Bentley University recognized their students in the Student Services Program. A SHOUT OUT to Gregg Grenier who was a Project Manager for the Cluster 2.0 program where Bentley students coordinated efforts with Kennedy Middle School and McDevitt Middle School to provide teachers with additional support and resources to help them embedded new Web 2.0 tools into Cluster Challenge work. One outcome of the efforts of the Bentley students, lead by Gregg, is this website: 
See also a wiki that Waltham Instructional Technology Specialists, Library Teachers, and Bentley staff have collaborated on: http://web20technology.wikispaces.com/. Join if you’d like!
