Library and Computer Science Update
The library and computer science special is in full swing for the 2025-26 school year—for the third year! When students have computer science as their special for the week, they experience two days of library skills, one day of guidance with Mrs. Wells (our guidance counselor), and two days of computer science skills.
Library lessons look different at each grade level. Kindergarten students learn how to check out books and take care of books, while exploring the parts of a book and developing a love of reading.
First grade students learn how to take care of their books and check them out, while also developing a love of reading. They complete reading responses to show their understanding and learn the difference between fiction and nonfiction. We also work on sequencing, which is an essential skill for both computer science and reading comprehension.
Second grade students learn how to take care of their books, understand the responsibilities of a due date and late fines, and explore the concepts of fiction versus nonfiction, sequencing, and the beginning of research.
Third through fifth graders are learning the responsibilities of a due date and late fines, how to find books in the library, the Dewey Decimal System, and how to conduct research.
Students in fourth and fifth grade also have opportunities for leadership by creating projects with a younger audience in mind. They are learning how to use programs like Keynote, Numbers, Google Sheets, and Google Slides to benefit them in the classroom.
On computer science days, students have plugged and unplugged lessons. A plugged lesson requires their iPad, while an unplugged lesson requires students to take part in a computer science skill through a hands-on activity, usually with a partner or small group. The unplugged lessons are designed to help students when they do their plugged lessons.
Computer science lessons are broken into five basic areas: computing systems, networks and internet, data analysis, algorithms and programming, and impacts of computing. There are grade-level spans for each area, and they all require students to problem solve and engage in critical thinking.
The students and I are enjoying learning together and from each other. Students are showing their creative sides through their projects, and they have learned the importance of talking through their problems to find the “bug” (problem) in their project.