The Chirp & Cheep
Bellaire High School's On-line Library Newsletter of Choice

(honestly you don't have a choice but it sounds good doesn't it?)

Issue 1, Vol. 1, October, 2004

TEACHING THEATER OPENS FOR BHS FACULTY & STUDENTS Anyone who has recently attended a college lecture will find that blackboards are history, replaced by electronic marvels called Smartboards. Last year your librarians requested that the Budget Committee consider funding a teaching theater; the request was granted, and now teachers and students are enjoying an area in which a teacher's audio-visual instruction is easier than ever before. Our theater uses a variation of the Smartboard, the Sympodium a touch-screen "blackboard." During opening in-service week, many teachers were introduced to the theater and it is being used. In September, Mr. Wiseman and Ms. O'Lear conducted a virtual lab that allowed students to study osmosis and diffusion. Mr. Mazzoni and Ms. Jackson will soon be using the lab to teach calculus as it is possible to use an electronic calculator that can be seen by every student. Mr. Wolf and Ms. Jones will show students various websites associated with a web search centered on the Salem witch trials. And Mr. Newland invited the West District central computer geeks to conduct an in-service on PASS. The teaching theater offers every teacher in any discipline opportunities to broaden the depth and scope of their lessons. As with any technology, it is very important that the user understand its possibilities and limitations. Any teacher wishing to use the theater should see either Janice Albright or Carl Casteel about the lesson the teacher wishes to teach. The librarians will in-service you on the technology that will best serve the lesson's needs.

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO GO BACK INTO THE DATABASES Over the summer HISD examined its on-line databases offered through the web portal provided by Library Media Services. Some databases were redundant and to economize, HISD cancelled its contracts with the following databases: Grolier Encyclopedia, Countrywatch, and Bigchalk (Proquest). The loss of Proquest, which provided excellent magazine/journal resources, will be felt because many students began to use this resource. Now EBSCO and GALE databases will replace Proquest. Many of you are familiar with GALE; it provides very in-depth databases related to literature, social studies, and health. It too provides many magazines and journals. At present, LIbrary Media Services is updating the database portal. Important change: Now you can access all databases with universal usernames and passwords: Username-hisd 1 Password: stars The other databases: World Book, ABC-CLIO (a great social studies site), AP Multimedia Archive (great source for pictures starting in the 19th Century forward), NetTrekker (clearinghouse for websites), are still working. To access the Media Services portal: http://libraries.houstonisd.org

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GRANT PROVIDES NEW LEARNING SPACE Over the summer, Kristine Brooks and Sandy Starr provided the library with a new learning space that occupies the east side of our library. The new space is private because of modular paneling. It is cooler because of new window shades. And it is wired because the Apple wireless cart is made available for your use. Also, new moveable seating was installed that gives a teacher a variety of ways to group students comfortably. Don't let this space go unused. Book it for club meetings or for library/computer use time. A great big thanks to Kristine and Sandy for spending their grant money funds for the library!

WHAT'S A B.I.M.M.? Are you clueless about how to connect a LCD projector to your laptop? Is PowerPoint and multimedia a challenge? Is a digital camera a mystery? Roberta Wallace's Business Image Management & Multimedia class requires that its computer saavy students complete one service project each six weeks. Her students stand ready to assist you in understanding and utilizing computer technology in your classroom, and they also will familiarize you with use of our new teaching theater. Contact Ms. Wallace at rwallac4@houstonisd.org for more information.