March 2

Term 1 afternoon tea and hands-on workshop: S.T.E.M.

Where: James Erskine Public School’s Library I-Centre
53 Peppertree Drive
Erskine Park.
When: Wednesday 11th April (Term 1, Week 11)
Time: 4.00pm – 5.30pm
Cost: Free
Parking: Available onsite, or in car park across from the school

This is an opportunity to network, have afternoon tea, and a local teacher-librarian sharing with you:

* A brief overview of both the process and the value of S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and maths)
* Problem solving, critical thinking and the importance of the school library
* Participate in a Picture Book S.T.E.M. challenge
* Try a variety of “Make & Take” challenges
* Meet and play with JEPS robots, Bee-Bots, Construct-a-Bots, Ozobots, Wonder Dash & Sphero
* Access to a Google Doc file of Picture Book S.T.E.M. ideas.

We hope you can join us.
RSVP closing date: Friday 6th April
Contact Cathie to RSVP at catherine.cattermole@det.nsw.edu.au

Please note: Due to the nature of this workshop, it is limited to 40 attendees. RSVPs will be recorded in order of receipt. TLs will receive priority as the local PMBW TL Committee is hosting this event. Other teachers are welcome and will be advised is there are places available after the RSVP cut-off date. Thank you.

UPDATE: Here are some photos of the day…

STEAM 1

Click here for slideshow (Requires Flash)

Or go to the album HERE.

October 11

Term 4 Conference on Friday 24th November

Dear colleagues,

The Penrith, Mt Druitt, Blacktown and Windsor Teacher Librarian Professional Learning Group (PMBW) is hosting an exciting Term 4 Conference on Friday 24th November (Week 7), 9.00am – 3.30pm at Rooty Hill High School Conference Centre, North Parade, Rooty Hill. The Conference Centre is on the first floor above the hall (and was the school library years ago, before the new one was built).

Please use the Tax Invoice attached to the email we sent out by email, which MUST be given to your SAM. The cost is $40. The PD Day Agenda is as printed below. Online registration is through MyPL and the code for this event is NR17175. We look forward to seeing you.

Godwits

Program
8:15 – 9:00am Registration & Refreshments
9:00 – 9:10am Welcome, Housekeeping & General Business
9:10 – 9:40am Integrating Popular Information Picture Books into Teaching & Learning Programs: Paul Macdonald (The Children’s Bookshop)
9:40 – 10:45am A Guide to using picture books in Geography (Dept of Education’s new online resource): Theone Ellas (DoE HSIE K-6 Advisor)
10:45 – 11:00am Sponsors’ Presentations
11:00 – 11:30am Morning tea
11:30 – 12:15pm Author presentation: Bruce Pickworth, author of The Godwits (book has a focus on bird migration and built environments, HSIE, with online Teachers’ Notes by Margo Pickworth)
12:15 – 1.00pm Using an information picture book as a resource for Geography and History: Margo Pickworth
1:00 – 2:00pm Lunch
2:00 – 3:00pm Discussion Groups (High School & Primary Schools): Library Programs – Lesson Planning & Programming Templates
3:00 – 3:15pm Evaluation and Badge Draw.

Colleen Blancato, Library Coordinator, Learning Systems, of the NSW DoE’s Learning and Business Systems Directorate, will also be attending. (More on Colleen’s participation later!)

Ian McLean,
Chairperson, PMBW TL Committee
Penrith PS

October 3

Ready to rap with “Bear & Chook”

There is already activity over on the “Bear & Chook” books rap blog site. This book rap, based on two picture books, “Bear & Chook”, and the newly-released “Bear & Chook by the sea”, is aimed at students in Early Stage 1 (Kinder) and Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2). It officially commences Term 4 Week 2 (26 October, 2009). But please, by all means, drop by rapblog6.edublogs.org/ and have a look around any time.

Several schools have already introduced themselves, there are some great comments turning up on the Teachers‘ section, and there are already things to look at in the Gallery. This book rap will also feature participation by the author, Lisa Shanahan, and illustrator, Emma Quay. An online video, of Lisa and Emma reading “Bear & Chook by the sea” at Caddies Creek PS, and answering students’ questions, will be an exciting addition to the usual teaching resources. The rap is being coordinated by Jenny Scheffers (TL at Caddies Creek), “Scan” editor Cath Keane, and yours truly. Interstate and international schools are welcome, and there is no cost involved in book rapping.

I’ve had a few questions from first-time teacher book rappers, and people who last did a rap in the previous email listserv format, regarding the whereabouts of the support material (programming and planning, syllabus outcomes and rap sheets) for the “Bear & Chook books rap”. The rap pages on the NSW DET website are still under construction and will be open for viewing from NSW’s Day 1, Term 4. When live, they will be linked from:
schools.nsw.edu.au/raps/index.htm
The rap itself will commence in Week 2, Term 4, in the week of 26 October 2009.

If you’re trying to visualise the scope of the programming and planning, syllabus outcomes and rap sheets, you might like to check out previous recent raps, such as the 2008 Stage 1 “Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge” book rap, in which the discussion component was also in a blog format:
schools.nsw.edu.au/raps/wilfrid08/index.htm

You can also email cath.keane@det.nsw.edu.au for further information about the rap. Have a great holiday and don’t forget the warm honey toast!

Regards,
Ian McLean
Teacher librarian and rap co-coordinator,
Penrith PS

June 3

Collaboration!

Today Emma Quay, illustrator, and Lisa Shanahan, author, launched their exciting, new children’s picture book, “Bear and Chook by the sea”, at our very successful teacher-librarians’ professional development day.

#24

I can’t wait for Term 4, when Jenny Scheffers and I coordinate a book rap based on their two “Bear and Chook” titles.