Sabrina's Bookish Adventures

As I reflected on this semester, it's amazing to think about how many ideas and information we've gained. I truly enjoyed this class and all it offered, working alongside some great people. I plan on taking the information gained and applying it this school year in the library. I decided to use Book Creator to go more into detail on my reflection of LSSL 5391. This is a great resource for students to use and create stories or share personal writing.  Final Reflection - Book Creator Which ones excited you most? I enjoyed working on the AI-Assisted Newsletter the most. This was my first experience using Artificial Intelligence and I'm so glad for the opportunity. My school district has begun showing teachers about the benefits of using AI, however, they also create our lesson plans for us. I wasn't sure where it would fit in, but now working on the newsletter gave me an idea on where to start. Chat GPT was very quick and resourceful, it generated a pleasant template for a...

Bibliography Condie, Ally, 2010. MATCHED. New York, NY: Penguin Books. ISBN 9780142419779. Plot Summary The day has finally arrived; Cassia Reyes' Match Banquet, a ceremony where people finally learn of their forever Match. Knowing her future lies in the hands of the Society, she is anxious to learn who she will be Matched with. Cassia is shocked to find her Match is her best friend, Xander, as it is rare to Match with someone in the same City. However, when Cassia goes home to play her microcard for more information about her Match, she is stunned to see a different Match was made. Knowing the Society makes no mistakes and Xander is her true Match, Cassia can't help but wonder if it wasn't a mistake the microcard showed Ky; an aberration who cannot Match. This rare mistake begins to unravel all that the Society has taught Cassia, leaving her to wonder if there is more to life than they were led to believe. Critical Analysis Condie has created a dystopian civilization where...

  Bibliography Jones, Diana Wynne, 1986. HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780061478789. Plot Summary Out of three sisters, Sophie is the eldest and is not surprised when her life is destined to stay at home and be a hat seller. To add on to her misfortune, she has caught the attention of the cruel Witch of the Waste, casting a spell on Sophie, causing her to change into an old, frail woman. Unable to tell anyone of her fate, Sophie seeks refuge at the Wizard Howl's castle, under the guise as a cleaning lady, hoping he can undo the spell. However, Sophie soon realizes this is no ordinary castle, as it has legs and constantly moves, with doors to different dimensions. The castle is not only home for the unpredictable Wizard Howl, but also his apprentice and a fire demon. As they all get to know one another and their faults, they encounter many quests together, eventually breaking the curses set on themselves. Critical Analysis In this classic fa...

  Bibliography Riggs, Ransom, 2011. MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN. Philadelphia, PA: Quirk Books. ISBN 9781594746031. Plot Summary When his grandfather unexpectedly dies, Jacob's life is turned upside down. He swears he saw a strange creature killing his grandfather, but no one believes him. After seeking help, it was suggested Jacob looks for answers in his grandfather's past. Reminiscing back to the "fairy tales" his grandfather told, Jacob and his father venture out to an island on Wales where his grandfather sought shelter during World War II. Recalling a strange home and unusual people from his grandfather's photos, Jacob set out to find Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. While exploring, Jacob realizes the home may have been more than a shelter for children; it's a sanctuary for strange and peculiar children with unique gifts. A home that is surprisingly still alive and running, with the exact same gifted children his gran...

Bibliography Sepetys, Ruta, 2022. I MUST BETRAY YOU. New York, NY: Penguin Books. ISBN 9781984836045. Plot Summary Seventeen year old Cristian Florescu and his family are struggling to survive a very controlled life in Bucharest, Romania. At this time, Romania lived under the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceauşescu and Mother Elena. Romanians were restricted from living comfortable lives; the government controlling their food portions, electricity, and sense of security. Citizens were often tricked and forced to spy on their friends and family, in order to stay alive. Something must be done to end the constant sadness and cruelty. If other countries were beginning to gain their freedom, why hadn't Romania gained theirs? Dreaming of freedom and becoming a writer, Cristian fights to give his country a voice and risks his life to share the ugly truth with the world.  Critical Analysis In 1989, Cristian Florescu is a young man with big dreams of becoming a writer, which is impossible when yo...

Bibliography Medina, Meg, 2016. BURN BABY BURN. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9781536200270. Plot Summary Nora López is seventeen years old and ready to escape her family life in New York. She was no longer able to handle her unpredictable brother, exhausted mother, absent father, and never-ending problems. Little does Nora know, 1977 had an interesting year planned out. Nora was only ready for her upcoming high school graduation, 18th birthday, and going disco dancing with her best friend, Kathleen. No one was prepared for what lie ahead; a cruel winter, extremely hot summer, a blackout, increase in crime/arson and a serial killer on the loose. Forced to grow up too quickly, Nora's year is filled with tough decisions that may hurt her family relationships but be beneficial for her peace of mind.  Critical Analysis Medina writes a story about Nora López, a strong, coming of age girl living in Flushing, Queens during one of its most dangerous years. In 1977, Nora and her be...

Bibliography Engle, Margarita, 2013. THE LIGHTNING DREAMER: CUBA'S GREATEST ABOLITIONIST. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780544541122. Plot Summary It's 1827 in Cuba, thirteen year old Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda (nicknamed Tula) is tired of the ongoing slavery and treatment of women. Her family is busy arranging her upcoming marriage much to Tula's disappointment. All she wants to do is read, write, and learn, but society wants her to stay quiet and not have original thoughts of her own. Refusing to stay quiet and confined, Tula uses her strong voice to speak up about arranged marriages, slavery, and equality rights through her poetry.  Critical Analysis Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda was very much a real person in Cuba's history during the 1800's. Despite not knowing Tula personally and creating realistic details, Engle has captured the fiery, bold passion of Tula and shared her powerful story to readers everywhere. During this time in Cuba, it wa...

Which of these guidelines am I already using?      In my classroom, I consistently use the Representation guideline. With every lesson I create, I make a point to include options for Perception, Language & Symbols, and Comprehension. Each year, my class is filled with diverse students, each one with different needs and learning styles. One learning style does not always benefit all, so I try and create lessons and activities that include multiple media platforms, provide visual/auditory information, hands on learning, and activate/create background knowledge. I also use options for Physical Action under the Action & Expression guideline. Working with diverse students, some have needs that are better served when allowing multiple options to turn in work such as electronically, written, or drawn. I've also found incorporating hands on learning activities and movement options has worked well for students. This also tends to engage the students more, instead of comple...

How to Research Great White Shark           I decided to complete a tutorial on how to research information using my school's online resources. My intended audience is for my upper elementary students (2nd - 5th grade) as they are beginning to create their own presentations of information they search for. This past year in first grade, I worked with my students on their typing skills and researching books in the library database - Destiny and myON. They made great progress and were independently searching for books they wanted reading based on their interests. With this tutorial, I wanted to go the next step and begin showing students how to navigate an online database such as TexQuest Navigator, National Geographic Kids, and Britannica School Elementary.          As our Technology club sponsor, I was able to work with students from 1st-5th grade on creating their Multimedia Fair projects. While they were in the process of brainstor...