This past spring, Jeff Uhas, BCD’s Librarian and 4th grade Humanities and homeroom teacher, submitted a proposal for professional development funds to examine and develop an updated curriculum for BCD’s Library. He then spent the summer connecting with other schools across the country to look at their curriculum and getting feedback from our own teachers about how the Library could support their needs. MyBCD sat down with Jeff to find out what’s new in the Library and what books are on his bookshelf:
“It was interesting to see what’s going on at other schools and look at how that fits in to what we are doing here. It’s important to keep abreast of changes and to re-examine our curriculum in that context because the field changes so quickly. It’s also reassuring to see that some areas remain the same. As a result of the process, I was able to come up with a new scope and sequence for our curriculum that I think better fits with how students learn and use the Library as a resource center.
One significant change to come out of my work this summer is a new, spiraling curriculum for our students that grow with their knowledge of the Library and its resources. Each year has a different theme. We start with Shelf Elf and Skoob for our Preschool and Kindergarten students who come to Library. This year they learn how to use the Library and care for the materials. In First Grade it’s about being Library Explorers. In Second Grade, students become Library Detectives. In Third Grade it is about being an individual and being an expert. In Fourth Grade, students learn about the organization of the library and how to access materials. They work as teams – Deweys versus Decimals. By the time they reach Fifth Grade, they learn how to access materials in other libraries and get an introduction to print and electronic research.
Another part of my work this summer was integrating new technology into the Library. We now have six new laptops. Students use the computers to access the electronic card catalogue and search for books, work on class projects, and do their homework during the after school study hall. I was also able to establish a relationship with a company that will come in and do an assessment of our collection and make recommendations about books to add. And, we introduced “Book Talks” for our Middle School students as a way to help students introduce their peers to good books.”
What’s on Jeff’s bookshelf? “The Good Thief” by Hannah Tint and “Washington
: The Making of the American Capital” by Fergus Bordewich.
