I am very excited to bring gaming into my school library during Teen Tech Week, sponsored by YALSA. With a grant by Best Buy, I am able to purchase Bloxels video game creators, Breakout Edu games, and Versa Tiles. Each resource will bring gaming to my library at a different level. Since students of all grade levels and academic abilities will participate in the Bay Shore Middle School Teen Tech Week program, these resources will allow me to customize unique experiences for them. These gaming resources can also be used to create curriculum-based activities and assessments, as well as professional development experiences. Through games students learn how to think critically, collaborate, strategize, and develop problem-solving skills.
VersaTiles are hands-on manipulatives that students can use independently or in groups. Through a series of 12 questions, students determine the correct answers and then place the tiles in the appropriate spaces. If the students are correct, a hidden picture pattern is revealed. I plan to create a series of questions about book awards (Newbery, Caldecott, Pura Belpre Award, Geisel Award, and the Printz Award) to familiarize my students with. They will use all of the print and nonprint resources in the library including reference materials, circulated books, the OPAC, and the Virtual Reference Collection). To learn more about VersaTiles visit: http://www.hand2mind.com/brands/versatiles.