Tried It Tuesday (library checkout!)

Happy Tuesday!  I am super excited to share with you a new checkout system for my classroom library for today's Tried It Tuesday!

If you are new to Tried It Tuesday, read more about it here.

My Tried It:

Classroom Booksource! 

I don't know about you, but I am a little protective of my classroom library.  I love buying books from garage sales, ebay, getting donations from students, and ordering books from Scholastic with bonus points.  However, once I get the books, I can get really (I mean, REALLY) annoyed when a "popular book" goes missing!  It happened with the Hunger Games series this year.  I introduced the books to our library and wouldn't you know they were gone and one wasn't returned for over a month.  That was when I used the "honor system".  Yeah right.  We all have those students that the honor system doesn't work for.  They want the most coveted books from the library and then don't read them.  They end up lost at home or in some messy locker or desk.  Ugh!
Then, I started my library system inspired by this post at All Things Upper Elementary by The Peanut Gallery.

I now have two librarians and students must have one of the librarians mark their card when checking out books.  See the post here for more about my classroom jobs.  When students return books, they place it in the return basket with their index card and the librarians check off on the card that it is returned when they have time.

It really has been working great but I was on the lookout for a digital system where students didn't have to take their cards out of the index card box every time they return a book.  I also can't easily tell who has a particular book out without looking through the cards (this can be time consuming with having 40 students with access to my library!

My solution was to test out Classroom Booksource!  The students and I have been working like crazy to get about 600 books from my classroom library scanned into Classroom Booksource!

What is Classroom Booksource? It is a FREE web-based program that allows users to maintain and inventory books and ebooks in their classroom library!  

You can use it to scan titles from your library using the ISBN number (I use the iPad app but a smart phone would work too)!  

Student rosters can be imported easily or you can type in the name of your students by hand and it enables each student to be able to check out, read, and return books using a scanning system.  Here is a picture of a student scanning a book using the class iPad.

  

You can even run assessment reports on student and title activity (I haven't tried that yet).

When students want to check out a book, they select their name from the class list that the teacher set up and then scan the ISBN with the iPad or smart phone.  If there is no barcode, the name can be entered by typing in the title to search it.  Here is a snapshot of the student page on the computer to check in or return books.

On the computer, students can be prompted to type in their password to check out books or this option can be disabled. (I set the passwords myself to match their AR passwords).  

When using the iPad app, I noticed that students didn't get prompted for a password even if I had that option checked in my classroom settings.  Here is a picture of one of my students selecting his name to check out a book.

Teachers can select from a number of options on the "Classroom Settings" page.  

You can customize:

1.  The number of books allowed to be checked out at a time by each student.

2.  The length of the checkout period.

3.  Option of prompting student for rating, condition, or review of book when returning.

4.  Students can be emailed an overdue notice.

5.  The book's location, genre, and condition can be tracked.

6.  The user can be prompted when adding a duplicate ISBN.

I am looking forward to having the books already scanned for next year so we can get started with this system right away.  I know many of you are already out for the year and may be reorganizing your library over the summer.  Students LOVE to scan books into the library, so I would suggest trying to find some volunteers that can help you out over the summer or save the majority of the job for the new school year when you have eager helpers and early finishers:)  Having a job like this is a great motivator for students!  Students can also quickly scan books to "add them to the library" before checking them out if they are not in the library yet.

We haven't had the system in place that long yet and I am excited and anxious to see if it runs smoothly.  I am still going to have classroom librarians that will check in and out books and manage the iPad.  I am afraid that if I don't have the librarians keep order during check out and return time, the students will be arguing and throwing around not sharing the iPad in an appropriate way or stealing taking books without signing them out:)  Time will tell if this method is successful for my classroom.  I would love to hear your thoughts about the method you use or your experience with Classroom Booksource.

Many readers and bloggers wanted to continue the linky WEEKLY over the summer!  Yay!!  It wasn't unanimous though (about a 75/25 split).
 I have worked out a little compromise:

Continue hosting WEEKLY FOR JUNE.
Host JULY ONLY ONCE on the 2nd Tuesday of the Month (July 9th)...

"TWOSDAY"...get it? :)
Go back to hosting WEEKLY IN AUGUST.

So, update your blogging calendar!  I don't have one of those yet but I think I need to start one soon:)  Of course, as always, you can link up ANYTHING you have tried (NEW or OLD) and it can be classroom or home related!  I love reading about them all and have learned so much.  I will need the summer to sort through all the new pins:)  Thank you again for your bloggy love, whether it is by reading, commenting, or linking up!!

I am also sharing some bloggy love and linking up this post with Chelsea from Flip-Floppin' Through 3rd Grade's new linky, Take-Away Tuesday.

If your Tried-It Tuesday fits Chelsea's theme, link up to both parties!  I know I try to link up as much as I can with blogging friends.  No one wants to join a party alone:)

Her is a summary of Chelsea's linky:

Every week of June and July I will be hosting Take-away Tuesday.  The purpose for this link up is to share your great tips, activities, organization, or summer planning ideas for Back to School 2013.  If you are like me, summer break is GLORIOUS, but you are already planning, purchasing, and creating for the next school year.  What better way to get new inspiration from others, while sharing your tried and true methods for a successful start to a new school year.

Monday Made It!! (classroom jobs)

It's Monday!  I am excited because I can link up with my favorite linky party and the amazing Tara at 4th Grade Frolics!!

Made It #1-I decided to do a major change with my classroom jobs (I know it's March!) but I couldn't resist!  My books from my personal library keep getting misplaced or not returned.  It is so frustrating when I just happen to find six or so books in a student's desk or they have gone missing entirely!  Ugh!  I have spent a lot of time (and money) building up my mediocre library.  A better system was needed.  I have tried the self check-out system but the same students were not returning their books and either not signing them out or in and it was nearly impossible to keep track of who last saw the book.  Then, I saw this post from the Peanut Gallery's post at All Things Upper Elementary.  This setup is amazing!

Did I mention that I WISH I had that many books in my library?  I would need more shelf space first though!  Her system was so inspiring that I knew I had to make a change.  It could not wait until next year!  So, I began searching for ideas for classroom job applications.  Why stop at just a classroom librarian?  I have always had a "teacher's helper" but the more I read, the more I realized I could have many more jobs in the classroom.  I found this FREE editable classroom job application on TPT and edited it for my needs.  The students were ecstatic when they found out they would be applying for various (new!) classroom jobs!  They couldn't wait to find out their new jobs.

Once the students applied for jobs, I made a job calendar for March and April based on the students' top three choices.  There really is a job for everyone and even my most reluctant helpers were excited (well, at least mildly:)  

I made this job chart...well, sort of made it on my own.  The adorable owl graphics are by Tracee Orman and you can find them here at TPT.  The chevron frames can be found here and the borders by the talented Megan at I Teach, What's Your Super Power below the owls are here at TPT.

I laminated the signs and put the magnetic strips on the back.  The little magnets holding the students names are Oxo magnets and they are super strong!  Pictured below is the little basket holding extra student name cards.  I knew I would find a handy way to use this magnetic basket I bought at Dollar General last summer!

The student jobs I have are:

• homework handlers (2)
• administrative assistants (2)
• classroom librarians (2)
• attendance assistant (1)
• pencil police (2)
• line leader (1)
• board boss (1)
• classroom caretaker (1)
• homework checkers (varies based on needs)

Some jobs change every week and some change every two weeks.  So far, this has been working better than I ever could have imagined.  It might be because it is new but I hope changing the jobs often keep the interest alive.

I am using this box with index cards for my classroom librarians to keep track of books checked out and check them back in after they are returned.

Made It #2-I added these labels to two baskets inspired by the Peanut Gallery's post again:)  Students place their index card in the book before placing it in the book return basket.  My classroom librarians make sure it is shelved properly and check off the return on the index card.  The book hospital bin is for books in need of repair and donations to the library that need to have the AR level sticker added by the librarians.  So far, they are loving this job and I am loving the help!

Made It #3-Besides the classroom librarian job, the pencil police job was the most desired job on the applications.  These helpers have the privilege of keeping pencils sharpened and placed back in the "ready to write" can.  Why do they like it so much?  Because they love using the Quietest Pencil Sharpener!  They also monitor the sharpeners use and make sure no one is using it to sharpen colored pencils or special pencils with foil wrapping.  

I wanted to find a way to mount this sharpener on the wall above my old sharpener.  The clamp did not hold well on any of my counters and I was so nervous that it would get knocked on the floor.  One of my awesome maintenance guys came up with this contraption for me!  He received a nice bag of my homemade chocolate chip cookies in return:)

Made It #5-I really cheated on this one but wanted to share this great resource with you.  I downloaded and printed this fraction dominoes game from Jivey at Ideas for Jivey and my high school volunteer cut out and laminated them. I have had her volunteering for two weeks every other day and it has been like heaven!  I also used a simplifying fractions game freebie from her store.  You have to check it out!  She is having a 200 follower giveaway right now with amazing prizes!

Made It #6-I also downloaded and printed these idiom and main idea task cards from the task card queen, Rachel Lynette.  I just love her task cards!  My students BEG to play scoot and I also use them for practice at Daily 5 centers.

Made It #7-I updated my Natural Disasters Project pack to make it TPT ready (thanks for the comments, friends!).  My students loved this project and it is great for promoting informational text and many core standards.  Check it out here:)

Anyone here a Bachelor fan?  I cannot wait for tonight and will be sad when the season is over:(  Mondays are so AWESOME when I know I can come home and reward myself with an episode of Sean!  Will he find love????  

Two more weeks for me and then a two week spring break!  It will be a staycation since we chose my vacation time to have my daughter's much needed surgery of tonsils and adenoids removed.  It should be restful vacation and I am really looking forward to the first break since Christmas!  It has been a long haul!  Have a great week everyone!  Go back and check out the other Monday Made Its!