Cool Stuff!
This week was again a very eventful and exciting week in the Main Library. While the normal ebb and flow of students checking out books and club meetings took place. Two other things were happening. The first was the number of high school students who were researching, studying, and even practicing for different assessments. Mr. Giles brought his classes in for a change of venue and space to practice for the Formal Oral Assessments in IB English. This was very cool to see, as students were clearly focused and well-prepared. In the library, we love supporting teachers and students in this way. We know that simply changing your environment can enhance the experience.
Speaking of experiences, Grade 9 Advisories this week made their way to the library to try something completely new. Supported by the HS Tech Council and born of an idea from Dr. Welch, 9 graders came to the library and experienced meditation via Virtual Reality. After testing several different meditation apps, they landed on using an application called TRIPP that allowed students to spend 10-15 minutes in a VR experience that asked them to quiet their minds and control their breathing while positively encouraging them through talk. It was an amazing thing to
see how quickly the students were able to relax. This is a pilot program we are trying and expanding to grade 10 students soon. We hope that students will be able to come to the library any time they have free time, check out a VR headset, and relax.
Ms. Kehe’s Recommendation
Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth (YA Science Fiction)
Through a galaxy filled with nation planets, a current flows through every living thing, giving each of them a unique gift. Cyra, sister of Ryzek, the brutal leader of Shotet, has the unfortunate gift of pain, which she feels constantly but can also use on others. Ryzek captured Arkos, son of the leader of Thuvhe, the Shotet’s sworn enemy. Arkos is the only person who can touch her without feeling pain. In addition to not feeling pain when Arkos touches Cyra, he also relieves her pain with his touch. Ryzek uses his sister to torture people and capturing Arkos is another way he can control her as he commands Arkos to remain by Cyra’s side to make sure her pain does not completely debilitate her. Forced together and despite being sworn enemies, their respect and friendship grow. Political intrigue abounds in this complex plot. If you enjoyed the Divergent series, you are sure to love this series too!
Bell’s Recommendation
Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor
I love fables and stories from ancient people. The stories give us insight into how people used to think and some of the ways they explained things they didn’t understand. In Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor, we hear the story of the ‘Angel of Death’. While this sound like a scary story, this is one where the lead character is a young girl who comes to realize she has power. Forced to grow up on her own and relying on others to help her through life, she learns empathy for others. This is a curious book and a myth from Ghana, so we get some great insights into life in Ghana long ago. Through her travels, it becomes clear how she should use this power; however interesting characters along the way threaten her and force her to use this power in ways she may not be prepared to use this strength. It isn’t religious as much as a way to explain how sometimes people die or, in this case are helped to die because the time has come. An easy read, and if you like mystical stories, this is it.
Technology Corner
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Digital Citizenship Corner
In the main story for this installment of the eNews we discussed how Grade 9 is using the VR headsets to meditate and calm their minds. Another implementation of the VR headsets has been to try and develop a strong sense of empathy in students at ISB. Grade 7 worked through a unit on Forced Migration where they ‘Virtually’ met a Syrian Girl whose family was forced to live in a UN Refugee camp. TOK classes virtually visited the religious places to investigate how people were conducting themselves in various locations.
Empathy is a strong component of the Digital Citizenship curriculum. Preparing our students to be thoughtful in their approaches to online interactions is at the core. ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education, has a podcast titled ‘What are the Do’s of Digital Citizenship’ where they discuss how these skills are meshed into all curricula and focus on how ‘social justice, media literacy and interacting on social media can be used to teach kids about digital citizenship. Check out the podcast here.