A Typical Night at the Village Public Library

by 

Bobbi Lin

I have volunteered several nights and thought I would let you guys know about a typical night of service based an experience from most nights with a little girl named Ashley.  Hope you enjoy!

Drake and Jacob working together to help a student.

Sam helping a little girl.

Video Reflection 2

Video Reflection 2

Hello there, it's Drake again. This week I made a video about the importance of considering my role as a volunteer. We have visited the Lexington Public Library approximately 14,637 times by now. Warning: This video contains only 1% of the amount of luchador fighting you might expect.

I also have been looking for an excuse to post the most beautiful sentence in the English language, which I just-so-happened to find hidden in a very advanced assignment for a student with whom I was working.

(Photo credits Drake Boling, copyright 2015)

Video Reflection 2

It's the Little Things

By: Sam Schulte


As Midterms roll around, I've lost track of how many visits I've had to the Lexington Public Library, but there have been quite a few. Each time, there are several things that make me smile and laugh and remind me why we're doing this service learning project. However, there are also times when I leave very frustrated that I wasn't able to effectively help every student.

This past visit, I had by far the most meaningful interaction with a student since I've been helping there. It was short and simple, but it really meant a lot to me, and it's stuck with me since leaving last week. For your viewing pleasure, here's a video of me talking about it.

Okay, really. I'm can't stop laughing thinking about her! She was so funny and full of life. Kids like her really make going to Homework Help fun, no matter how stressful it can be at times. 

She's a phonics rockstar!

Batty and his two friends, Little Kitty and Big Kitty

When All Else Fails, Google It/Video Reflection 2

Google and the Underlying Issue

By Jacob Whitmore

Hey guys. So with this post, you get to see me and hear me talk! That's great, right? Maybe not. But I wanted to answer a question I've been asked a few times since I've been working with the Homework Help organization. The photos below give a little insight into what I'm talking about. Hopefully it answers that question that some of you might have thought, and it might raise other questions about the kids' education in general. At least I think it's something to really mull over. I hope you guys like it!

Making sure we're spelling correctly...
(Photo Credit: Jacob Whitmore)

...to discussing the U.S. economic system.
(Photo Credit: Jacob Whitmore)

Are you Smarter than a Fourth Grader?

By Bobbi Lin

This is a little embarrassing but let me say I will not be appearing on any game show testing my knowledge against any fourth or fifth graders.   Let’s just say I am happy to have access to my cell phone at times during the Homework Help visits at the Village Public Library. 

While most of the time I have helped first and second graders with spelling homework consisting of repeatedly writing the words (once with pen, then pencil, then marker) but there has been a few occasions that make me doubt my own knowledge.

On a recent visit I was tag teamed with two young men in the same class with math homework.   Normally we help one child at a time but these two wanted to work together and with so many waiting it seemed like a good idea.   One student was loud and funny and I would bet is the class clown as I heard a series of jokes in between problems. The other was quiet and quite the future mathematician.   I was amazed when he multiplied twenty-seven by fifth-six in his head correctly but then reminded of his need for help when he guessed at seven times four. 

 This homework consisted on problems involving order of operations.  At times, I freely admit I doubted myself especially when these two students came up with different answers.   

  

The quiet student kept saying "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally”.   Was it a private joke? Nervous chant?  The loud student kept speaking in Spanish and singing “PEMDAS” in different voices.  After hearing this repeatedly for about 10 minutes, I finally decided to google pemdas and see what all the giggles were about hoping I could bring his attention back around.

Well much to my relief this is a technique teachers use to help students remember the order of operations.

 It stands for "Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, and Addition and Subtraction".

 Now I am older than most students (and some professors) and it has been some 30 plus years since I was taught about order of operations.  To be honest I don’t even remember learning about this but I sure Aunt Sally was not involved.

I have to admit I was just glad to have the refresher and to know the students were not just playing around but honestly attempting to think through the problems. 

Thank you Aunt Sally.