Thursday, January 23, 2014

A Special Thank You to the HPTA!


The HHS Comic Book/Graphic Novel Club would like to give a huge thank you to the Hopkinton Parent Teacher Association (HPTA) for recently awarding us a grant to fund our club! With so much discussion in the education world about the use of comic books and graphic novels to support the common core in the classroom, it is a great time for us to be offering an extracurricular club fostering students' interests related to the genre.

Some recent acquisitions by the HHS Library include several of Wayne Vansant's graphic novel series depicting epic battles and historical events.  A fun way to learn some history at your school library! And for those of you participating in the HHS Library Winter Reading Challenge, yes, these books will count towards your total!

For our next meeting, Tuesday February 4th after school, the Comic Book/Graphic Novel Club will be reading and discussing Watchmen. All are welcome!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Poetry Resources at the HHS Library


Need to research and analyze some poetry?  The HHS Library has multiple resources available to you. A great place to start is the 800's section of the library's nonfiction stacks (for those unfamiliar with the library, this is that little nook towards the back of the room). No time to get to the library? Check out the guide Ms. Fournier put together for you and gain access to several research databases, ebook materials, and bibliographies.

Still having trouble finding what you need? See Ms. Fournier or Ms. Belcher and they will help you!

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Digital Storytelling Tools

Applications for digital storytelling in the classroom are numerous. Whether it be creating an original ebook, using a comic strip to recount historical events, or creating a trailer or video to explore a novel's literary themes, several multimedia tools exist that also offer collaborative and social media functionalities that could be great for the classroom.


Storyboard That offers students the opportunity to use comic strip format to create their own stories or recounting of factual information they've learned in the classroom, using structure and imagery of their choice. Students can then share their storyboards with their teacher and classmates and receive feedback about their project.  For a detailed tutorial, check out this slideshow put together by Richard Byrne.


WeVideo is an online video creation platform that helps individuals tell compelling stories and share them with friends and family. In the classroom, online video projects can be a great way to encourage student creativity and storytelling, as well as help develop 21st century skills.


Widbook is a great tool for publishing ebooks and connecting with others who share that same passion for writing. Students can collaborate with each other and co-write their own ebook, including videos, links, photos, and illustrations.  Students can also receive feedback from others reading their story and build a fan base of people who enjoy their writing. In addition, students can build their own library of ebooks they are reading and receive updates each time new content is added by authors they follow.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Comic Book/Graphic Novel Club


The Comic Book/Graphic Novel Club is meeting today after school! We are meeting in the library seminar room at 2:00pm.  All are welcome!  To prepare for our meeting and help get our first discussion started, I compiled a list of resources here.  Have fun browsing :)


Monday, January 6, 2014

January Newsletter


The HHS Library's January Newsletter is now out!

FREE Movie Night, Friday 1/10


The HHS Library and Student Book Club are hosting a movie night to raise money for their spring field trip to visit the Boston Public Library and Boston Athenaeum. On Friday, January 10th we will be showing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the HHS Auditorium. The movie is free and will begin at 6:30pm. We will be selling pizza and concessions starting at 6:00pm. Bring the family and enjoy the movie! Open to the community - all are welcome!