Embrace your Inner Tech Goddess or God!

This first presentation was my favorite because it involved new ideas interspersed with the actual technology being used for a particular program.  Cindy Wall and Lynn Pawloski presented a high energy presentation chock full of ideas.  Their excitement and creativity was contagious.  The program started off by showing the app for The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr.  Morris Lessmore.   With it you can go into the world of the story by learning about pianos, book repair, and even storms.   Over the next hour, Cindy and Lynn described various activities which involved technology as a part of their programs.  Here is a brief description of some of them.

Maximizing attendance

We all know how hard it is to plan for programs, because even if there is required registration, some people never come, while others drop in that day.  In order to fill up their programs with as many children as possible, they ask the adult signing up for a $3 deposit for one child and $6 for a family.  This is only to ensure that the patron actually comes to the event, and when they arrive for the program, they get their money back.  However, if the patron needs to cancel and gives the library enough time to call the first person on the waiting list, then they also receive their money back. 

e Tots

Ages 2 to 6 yrs

This is an interactive story time with children and their caregiver that involves using an iPad.   They explained that one computer account can have up to 10 devices registered under it.  This allows the librarian to buy 10 songs or app’s for the price of one.  An iPad poem is used to teach proper use.  It is based on 1, 2 Buckle my Shoe and this is how it goes:

1, 2 Clean my hands

3, 4 Sit on the floor

5, 6 Tap the app

7,8 Look, listen, and wait

9,10 Swipe the page

Now it is time to read again!

Older children and Transmedia

These programs were for school age children.  The topics included:

 The Solar System with The Cat in the Hat app’s and modeling clay,

A monthly art program called Pixels and Pencil’s where there was 15 of app time and then 30 minutes of  creation time.

Explore the Titanic, using a 3d movie, Her Story app, a fish tank and frozen balloons, and hidden tickets under chairs of actual passenger on board, that had to be researched through an app.

Al Capone Does my Shirts book discussion with two games where you had to get onto an island and one where you had to try and get off it, and a Mug Shot app.

The story of Hugo Cabaret, Stop motion filming, and using story board templates.

Through their whole presentation they emphasized that these programs do not need to be perfect, just fun.   They will be doing a webinar through ALSC on April 9^th and 24^th.  There is a fee.

Submitted by Annika Black, Norway Memorial Library