Amazing Things To Do With Realia

I would like to thank Ken Lackman and Associates, Educational Consultants for an opportunity to share my Dollar Days philosophy and ideas at an ESL Teacher Development Workshop.

"Amazing Things To Do With Realia"

Materials reinvented included boxes, post-its, placemats, telephone message pads, to-do-list pads, over the door shoe pocket organizers, address books, T-shirts, packaged seeds, birthday cards, Thank You Notes, vintage photographs and more. Web 2.0 Tools, where applicable, were introduced. A handout was also provided. 

http://kenlackman.com/attendworkshops2.html

Thank you to the interesed participants who attended the evening.

                                             

Beautify Your Library--Webinar: Chalk it up to Imagination!

I would like to thank the AASL for a wonderful opportunity afforded me to share my idea, “Chalk it up to Imagination” via a webinar presentation.  “Chalk it up to Imagination” was a webinar segment that introduced participants to a variety of D.I.Y. projects using Chalk Board Paint to beautify any surface.

Thank you also to my colleagues,  from across the US, who also shared their ideas in creating library environments that lend themselves to student success.   

Main ideas have been summarized below:

Purpose of Using Chalk Board Paint:

•  accent and beautify an area with minimum cost and maximum impact
• to serve as instructional zones

Recipe:

Materials

• acrylic paint( use a variety of colors)  or  latex paint, non-sand white tile grout, foam brushes, painter’s tape, chalk, sander
• 1 cup of paint + 2 Tbsp. of grout covers approx. 8’x2’

Purchase from Home Depot or Consider

• Magnetic Chalk Board Paint 

Instructional Video  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51mPLGqw-2I

DIY projects:

• Create a border around the library and post weekly “my favorite Web 2.0 tool” and Quote of the Week.
•  Filing Cabinets to act as activity center and the starting point for group brainstorming and storage of print material related to the topic. A digital copy of brainstorming can record results to upload to Google Docs or Library Moodle or Blog for future reference.
• Paint End Plates on shelving units, or a portion of a wall, plaque or large cork board. These surfaces can serve as an instructional zones to invite dialogue and interaction. Post  a statement that students can  complete…based on research projects, or topical  issues.

          Eg. I do not smoke because…

          Cats make better pets than dogs because...

• Table Tops can serve as a brainstorming session or game centre to review ideas/research via the rules of “Hollywood Squares”.
•  For signage, use tin plates, trays, glass picture frames—for “New Books”
•  Plaques can also serve as a daily calendar
•  Boxes for storage of material eg. “Markers”, “Crayons”

Shopping List--Supplies

Thrift

Up cycle old furniture: filing cabinets, tables,  tin plates, trays, wooden plaques, picture frames,  cork board, household paint left over from projects, wall paper borders

Dollar Store

Acrylic paint, sand paper-coarse grit, foam brushes, paint rollers, picture frames, paper bags,  contact paper, vinyl/plastic trays, wooden plaques

Hardware Store

Chalk Board Paint, Magnetic Chalk Board Paint, Non-sanded grout,

For further ideas:

http://pinterest.com/                                                    

or www.youtube.com     

**search “Chalk Board Paint”

Check this out!
Dry Erase Paint

Hopefully these ideas will serve as the starting point for your “mindful creatively”.

 All the best.

Resourcefully yours,

Julia Andreacchi

Copyright 2013, All Rights Reserved.

Chalk it up to Imagination!

Ideas to Beauty your Library on a Budget…

Good News!
I have been selected as one of five speakers to deliver a webinar segment, sponsored by the American Association of School Libraries (http://www.ala.org/aasl/) entitled:
                             
                    "Ideas to Beauty your Library on a Budget"
                                             Join us...

                                         May 9th, 2013
                                         9:00 p.m. EST
                   http://www.ala.org/aasl/ecollab/upcoming

My segment will introduce participants to a variety of D.I.Y. projects using Chalk Board Paint that can beautify any surface. Inexpensive finds from the dollar store, existing furniture, scrape wood, thrifty finds and a variety of surfaces are used for the projects. Painted surfaces can create accent walls, signage or areas that can serve as instructional zones.

Mindful creativity is essential to create a big impact.

See you then!

Resourcefully yours,

Julia Andreacchi

 

The Year in Review 2012

It has been a very busy year but my dedication to the concept of Dollar Daze and Thrifty Finds

is still strong.  Reinvention serves as the starting point in the development of instructional strategies that engage students in active learning and critical thinking. 

Reinvention = Resourcefulness + Mindful Imagination 

The 21^st Century Learner – A compendium

Common Core State Standards

·      literacy and digital benchmarks embedded in core curriculum to involve students in the successful construction of new knowledge.

AASL Standards for the 21^st Century Learner

·      assists students with the achievement of the indicated benchmarks across the curriculum.

School Library program

·      in collaboration with the  the classroom teacher  can expand and supplement classroom curriculum.

Problem-based projects

·      promote experiences to engage students in critical thinking and action.

Dollar Daze and Thrifty Finds Philosophy Supports Core Standards and AASL Standards through Resourcefulness + Mindful Imagination

·      mindful imagination and resourcefulness creates tools and strategies to helps students connect to new knowledge at an emotional level through the “concrete representation of thoughts and understanding”.  http://www.utne.com/mind-body/Crafting-a-New-World.aspx

I am always looking for ideas to fuel my imagination and to act as a starting point for new activities. Below is a list of links that support thinking and doing….

mindful imagination and creativity.

•           the concept of “create your own examples to retain it more” http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/dec/25/knox-county-students-bound-by-books/

•            how photography inspires a number of critical thinking outcomes http://weisman.jaws.umn.edu/artfulwriting/activities.php

•   a video that demonstrates a variety of strategies to develop vocabulary http://www.literacyinlearningexchange.org/content-literacy-resources-0

•             how Art and Music can be integrated in curriculum to improve student thinking and learning http://www.pz.harvard.edu/tc/overview.cfm

• Web 2.0 Tool – An excellent tool where images of student work can be photographed and uploaded serving as a starting point for guided discussion. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/voicethread-new-teacher-boot-camp

Coming soon

Quietly Making a Difference –

The Soft Sell

Raise your Library profile by utilizing the power of “soft sell”                                   to market your ability as “Teacher-Librarian”. 

The next post will examine a number of strategies developed using dollar store and thrifty finds to help you build influence and connections to the school mission statement. Quick and easy ways to lead the quiet revolution and transform the school library into the core of the whole school learning commons. Please join our discussion.

All the best in the New Year.

Resourcefully Yours,

Julia Andreacchi
DollarDaze and Thrifty Finds
All rights reserved

@2012

The Year in Review--Coming Soon 2012

Minneapolis Update

Listed below is a sampling of the items that were on display at the Exploratorium It’s In the Bag! To Engage Student Literacy and Learning © Julia Andreacchi, AASL Minnesota--Oct. 2011

Required Material:
1 Reusable Bag,
http://www.wordle.com/ used to compose image below.
Print-On Iron Transfer Paper purchased from WalMart to transfer wordle image to Literarcy bags.

1. The image below illustrates key words/ideas/themes explored in the novel Autumn Letters by Michael Frederick.

Boxes--to place Autumn Letters

Music and Literary to convey feelings/thoughts of characters

60's Fashion

Chemistry

2.  Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

     Themes: Poverty, Hope, Familial Love, Man's best friend,          the power of nature.

     Assignments: Ecology Boxes, passports, letter writing, memo pads-   -a day in the life, clay prints, metaphors, posters for healthy living.

3. Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper

    Themes: Unconditional love, loyalty, abandonment,

    fearlessness, courage

    Assignments: Plastic Sleeves, Photojournal, Poster Campaign

4.  My Eyes have Seen by Louis Trenton

     Themes: Starting Over, Culture Shock, Determination, Patriotism, Devotion

     Assignments: Vintage Photos, Shower Hooks

5.  Teddy Gets Out by Greg Vaughn

      Themes: Peer Pressure, Unconditional Love, Spirit

      Assignments: To do List, Address Book

6.  Gravity Journal by Gail Sidonie Sobat

     Themes: Anorexia, Addiction, Inability to Love Oneself, Moving Forward

     Assignments: Journal Writing, Pot, Masks, Message Pad, Hand Cutouts

7.  Push by Sapphire

     Themes: Raw Emotion, Poverty, Illiteracy, Neglect, Abuse, Hope,      Survival, Aids, Struggle,

     Determination

     Assignments: Alphabet, Shoe Bag

8.  The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

     Themes: Defining Moments in your Life, Reflection, Forgiveness,      Sacrifice, Giving Back

     Assignments: Card Sleeves, Exit Signs

     

   If you require further details please send me an email.
See link at bottom of page.

Thanks again for your interest.

© Julia Andreacchi, AASL Minnesota--Oct. 2011

California and More

I've had another wonderful opportunity to showcase my work, but this time in California.  Details to follow, including the Minneapolis update, as well as my meeting with Cynthia Kadohota, Author of Cracker, Best Dog in Vietnam, Robert Paul Weston, Author of Zorgamazoo and Yvonne Printz, Author of The Vinyl Princess.

$10 Bucks = Dollar Daze and Thrift Finds to Engage Students in Literacy and Learning
This is a session that will help you utilize the magic of dollar and thrift store finds to deliver a novel study that "rocks." Don't let budge restriction and the lack of resources and technical power dampen your enthusiasm and creativity. This session will demonstrate how the teacher librarian and classroom teacher can repurpose a number finds to create teaching activities that engage student thinking, creativity and reflection. The buck stops here. Join us in this adventure.

Thank you for your interest. I will update this blog shortly.