Signal Mountain Middle High School Library Media Center

Cold Outside? Read a Book!

Follow us ONLINE!

The SMMHS library is increasing our

online presence to accommodate our

patrons. Every afternoon at 2:30 we

post a book trailer on Twitter and

Facebook as well as advertising

library events and programs, on

Pinterest you’ll find resources for

students, parents, AND teachers —

e v e r y t h i n g f r o m b o o k

recommendations and effective study

tools to classroom organizing

strategies and bulletin board ideas!

Here’s how you can stay informed:

***************************

Follow me on Twitter @GingerKirchmyer

Find and Follow us on Pinterest:

www.pinterest.com/ginjatheninja/

Like and Follow us on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/smmhsmediacenter

January 1, 2015 Volume 2, Issue 5

It’s the perfect time of year to get into reading! It’s

cold outside, and with a good book, it can almost feel

good to be stuck inside! Consider checking out a great

book from the SMMHS library, or remember that

SMMHS students are given free membership to the

Chattanooga Public Library. They can even download

audio or eBooks. Students who haven’t yet applied can

STILL apply; get an application here or stop in to the

school library and pick one up at the circulation desk.

Don’t know what to read? Here is the list of the

top 70 books checked out in 2014 from the public

library. Maybe you’ll get inspired. Parents, consider

checking out a book your child might like, and read it

to/with them. You can also use Atriuum, SMMHS’s

book system, to find out if we have what you want here

at school. Here’s to hoping you find a latte books to

read!

Empowering students to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers,

skillful researchers, and ethical users of information.

SMMHS Library/Media Center Mission:

The SMMHS library/media center is committed to equipping the school community with 21st Century skills in order that they may have a positive impact on their community, country, and world.

Library Hours

7:15-2:30 daily

Lunch—we’re open, but no

food please!

During class—just have a

pass and sign in!

2

Directed Studies: See Ms. K

for a pass

2

SMMHS LMC

SYMBALOO

This amazing tool is used to make time spent online more efficient. Basically, you set it up to include all your favorite sites (basically bookmarks) in a pictorial format, so it actually ends up looking somewhat like the screen of your iPad. You can even create pages within your account so you might have one for school, one for personal, one for business, one for a child or sibling, etc… I’ve started a webmix (that’s what they call a page you set up) just for the students, parents, and teachers. This is really an amazing tool; I HIGHLY recommend it!

Teacher Download Student/Parent Download

Click here for the Help Sheet!

One of the many tools I have touted in recent months

(and which is also featured on the symbaloo tool I

have created for all teachers, students, and parents)

is Khan Academy. If you haven’t heard of it, you need

to know about it.

Created by one of Silicone Valley’s great

minds, Salman Khan (with 3 degrees from MIT and an

MBA from Harvard), Khan Academy was not intended

to be a revolutionary education tool. Originally Khan

was just looking to create a way to help his cousins

with their studies, but it caught on, and now he has

published over 2,400 videos in math, science and

economics.

The videos actually aren’t all that impressive

technologically. He

just videos himself

working out a

problem, talking

over the hand-work,

and he doesn’t

follow any set

curriculum, but they

get the job done,

and students like

being able to work at their own pace.

We’ve known for many years that one-on-one

learning produces better results than large-group

settings, so it’s really no surprise, and although the

concept of the flipped classroom isn’t revolutionary (I

was doing it in the 90’s with VHS tapes), it has

become better known now that it’s been publicized by

Techsmith. Khan’s flipped lessons allow students to

work through the lessons on their own and then have

time for interaction with their instructor during class.

It’s definitely a learning tool for the future. I

foresee many more like this coming our way!

Pugliese, Joe. “Salman Khan.” 2011. Photograph. Wired. 1 Jan. 2015.

Thompson, Clive. “How Khan Academy Is Changing Education.” Wired. 15 July, 2011.

Web. 1 Jan. 2015.

One Way Kids

Are Advancing

Past Their Peers

in Math & Science