This year the library has made it a priority to integrate technology into learning. As a result, we have many great learning opportunities available.

Students can read ebooks on their iPads through our subscription to Overdrive. From the Kalama Library homepage, tap on Overdrive, and enter your ten-digit student ID number.

Language Arts teachers are continuing to bring their classes to the library to participate in our "Book Hooks" activity. Students write a short persuasive paragraph explaining to their friends why they should read this book (usually the book they chose for their independent reading for English class). Then, using the app Aurasma, they photograph the book cover and link it to their paragraph made fancy in Google Slides. Finally, we display them and everyone who scans the displayed books can read mini-reviews that their friends wrote! Come see them if you can. They're really cool.

We've started offering Breakout events to all classes in any subject. These are curriculum-focused puzzles that students solve to open all the locks on the box. The school version is technically a Break In since we don't want to lock students in the library. Many teachers are signing up their classes for this fun, challenging and completely immersive learning opportunity. Families, if you want to try a breakout game, there is an Escape Room in Lahaina (My family is going to try it during Winter Break.)

The library continues to host classes learning computer coding at code.org. I strongly recommend these games for all family members. It may look like games, but it actually teaches computer programming and may lead to a great career in computer science.

The library is showcasing a Twine story; this is basically a choose-your-own adventure story online. We've got an iPad hooked up to the large monitor in the library so that whenever a student is playing the Twine, other students in the library can read along and perhaps persuade the player to choose a certain path. Soon I hope to offer to Language Arts classes the opportunity to learn how to make their own Twines. In the meantime, if you want to try playing a Twine or two, try twinery.org.

We will continue to develop exciting new learning opportunities and keep you posted.

☻,

Mrs. Brown

Kalama Library