Cullinane,
A. (2018, January 11). School library incorporates reading with exercise. 10 WJAR.
https://turnto10.com/news/local/school-library-incorporates-reading-with-exercise
Summary: This article
was interesting in this work because it talked about the often forgotten task
of simply rummaging through your school storage areas and putting to use what
is not being used. Then, simply putting clip boards over the handlebars, the
students are now able to use equipment the school paid for and read at the same
time, effectively building a life skill of associating reading with physical
and mental health. The librarian in this story also works at the high school in
the district, so this is a habit she could potentially build on going forward
for students. This was free!
Evaluation: You never know
what you can find in the depths of your school’s, and even district’s, storage
areas. I once found old LeapPads-with the cartridges-in the library of a highly
disadvantaged, 100% free reduced lunch school and they weren’t being used. They
should have been in classrooms and in the library but they were in storage. I
was so mad. The school was build in 1921 so my classroom legit had five outlets
with two plugs and a few plugs didn’t work. Another outlet was our SmartBoard
and another the class phone. So, with what was left, I plugged in four LeapPads
for the kids. They loved them. They were bulky enough to survive being on the
floor incase of accidental kicking. What I enjoyed with this article was the
implementation of the bikes and ellipticals in the library. This allows
rambunctious students to burn some energy in a calm atmosphere. To begin
connecting exercise and reading with physical and mental health. I would love
to see public libraries do this for all ages but specifically school libraries
as obesity rates rise and literacy rates lower. Let’s fight both battles at
once!
