SSL-NYLA 2013 Presentation: App-ealing Instructional Practices

Once again I'm presenting at the New York State School Library Conference, held this year in Rochester, NY. Below are the apps I'm covering in my workshop. Leslie's elementary app reccomendations can be found on her library page.

1:1 Apps

* Timeline 3D ($4.99)

* Timeline Eons ($6.99)
* EBSCO Host (Free)
* Access My Library (Free)
* Solve the Outbreak (Free)
* Pass the Past (Free)

1:25 Apps

* Haiku Deck (Free)
* Ask3 (Free)
* Voice Dream Reader ($9.99)
* Apps Gone Free (Free)
* iPoe Vol. 2 ($3.99)
* Postagram (Free)
* SparkVue ($9.99)
* AirMicro Pad (Free)

 

Studyhall Utilities

* Amount ($.99)
* MyScript Calculator (Free)
* FitBrain Trainer (Free)
* Audible (Free)

* Kindle (Free)

Inquiry Projects Part I: A refreher and alignment

This is a two part series: Part I is a refresher on inquiry based learning models and their alignment to the Common Core. Part II discusses an inquiry driven 8th grade ELA research unit aligned to the Common Core.

So I've spent some serious time hating on the Common Core, but over the past year I've come to appreciate many aspects of the new standards (though I continue to abhor any additional testing it's generated).

One fantastic aspect of the Common Core is its emphasis on inquiry. Librarians are inquiry experts - it's what we do 24/7. Having the Common Core around helps justify our existence; I'm finding that most classroom teachers are uncomfortable with inquiry based learning, so we're needed now more than ever!

Need a little refresher yourself? In this learning model, instead of expecting students to find the “right answer,” students are asked to find appropriate solutions to problems (typically, the problems - aka "questions" - are generated by students themselves). It puts more emphasis on teaching students HOW to learn rather than simply memorizing content. Another characteristic of this model is the role of the teacher; instead of the teacher serving as a “sage on the stage,” teachers are a “guide by the side,” facilitating the problem solving process rather than simply providing the right answer. This type of lesson design parallels real world problem solving, mirroring the Common Core’s emphasis on preparing students for the workforce.

There are multiple inquiry models out there - the Big6 is one most of you are probably familiar with. Janet Murray has complied a cross-walk aligning the Big6 to a variety of Common Core indicators.

Aligning the Big6 to the Common Core. Visit Janet Murray's Web site for the full chart.

Another example of an inquiry model is WISER, which was developed by Madison-Oneida BOCES School Library System. The WISER model has a nifty graphic cross-walking inquiry with skills Common Core ideas.

The WISER model as prepared by the Madison-Oneida BOCES School Library System.

Regardless of the model you choose, Common Core standards make a strong case for adopting some kind of inquiry framework. As you collaborate with teachers, an inquiry learning model will help ensure you're approaching projects from a Common Core aligned perspective.

Hosting a Successful Author Visit in a Junior High

This week we hosted author Susan Campbell Bartoletti. It was my first time working with a big-name author, and between three months of maternity leave and teachers prepping for upcoming state testing, I felt a little frazzled pulling off the event.

Happily, some advance made the day a success, even though I'd never done this kind of event before. Here are my top tips for planning a successful author visit at the junior high level.

Susan eats lunch with our students.

Ask your classroom teachers what authors they're interested in (or give them a short list to choose from). It's so much easier to pull off an author visit if you have teacher buy-in. They're under tons of pressure to perform on state exams and adjust to new curriculum standards, so they are going to be reluctant to give up class time for an activity they don't value. When they have a stake in the event everyone is much happier.

Select authors that match your curriculum. When I prepared my short-list for the teachers, I gave them two options. Both authors wrote non-fiction, so their books aligned well with the Common Core. The content of their recent works also aligned to the 8th grade Social Studies and ELA curriculum. By choosing authors that are a good academic fit, it's easier for teachers to give up class time.

Check reviews. It's much less nerve racking to  host an author you've met in advance. I put Susan on my short list because I saw her speak at a school library conference. Not all authors are equally good speakers, and it's not easy to handle an audience of 250 8th graders. Choose those with experience presenting to your age level. Susan was an easy choice because she taught 8th grade English for almost 20 years. I've found that former teachers usually make great speakers.

Get the kids to actually read the book. This isn't an easy feat at the junior high level. When you're working with picture book authors, it takes thirty minutes to read through a book -- in contrast, Susan's Hitler Youth is over 150 pages. Because I had teacher buy-in (see first bullet), I was able to ask my social studies teachers to work with the text in their classroom. I bought 30 copies of the book, and each teacher got the set for one week. If I hadn't been on maternity leave, I would have collaborated with the teachers to develop engaging activities based on the book. Since teachers were left to their own devices, the students had different levels of exposure, but they all had at least SOME level of familiarity.

Get the kids excited about the author. I struggled with this step. It's so much easier to think of elementary activities for author visits. We did bulletin boards and a library display, but I wanted MORE. I talked to a wise colleague who's sooo smart about this stuff, and she had great ideas. One suggestion was to hold daily trivia contests. Students who correctly answered the questions got entered into a drawing. They could either win lunch with the author or the opportunity to sit in the "VIP section" (a front row of comfy chairs we dragged down from the library) during the assembly. Both options were really popular and got kids excited.

Plan different settings for kids to interact with the author. During Susan's visit, she did two large group assemblies (250 kids each), ate lunch with about 15 students, and then held a writing workshop with about 40 kids.These different settings allowed them to interact with her in both formal and informal ways.

Take care of the author. Presenting all day takes so much energy. Keeping the author well fed and happy helps ensure a high quality program. Ask your author what they like to eat and drink and if they have any dietary restrictions. Schedule breaks between events. Give the author time to use the bathroom, have a snack, check their e-mail and relax.

Our day with Susan Campbell Bartoletti was awesome! I can't stop raving about her!

What are your tips for a successful author visit?

Sending Home Good News: Postagram

Like many schools, my district encourages us to let parents know when students are doing a great job. As a junior high librarian, it can be difficult to make these connections with parents - in the past, I haven't had reasons to call home with good OR bad news. I see students in short, two week chunks of time as they complete projects, and then when they're done with their projects, I have only casual, informal interactions with them. I'm not assigning grades, and they don't stick around long enough in the classroom to become discipline problems, so bad news phone calls to parents are never a necessity.

I would, though, like to make an effort to let parents know when their child does something fantastic, even if I only get to know that student during a two-week project.  Although I haven't made an effort to do so in the past, it's great publicity for the library and way to build a base of parent advocates.

I just needed a way to share the good news with parents. I could make a phone call, but I'm not super comfortable talking on the phone, so I searched for an alternative strategy. Here was my criteria for a communication medium:

• Fast
• Easy
• Affordable
• Visual
• Fridge-worthy

I ended up selecting an app called Postagram. Postagram allows you to send a picture postcard through the US postal service to any address for $1.00. The card features a photograph and a 180 character message. The photograph is perforated and can be punched out to display (perfect for hanging on the fridge). 

Above: A Postagram card - your custom photo goes in the white square. Image source.  

Postagram allows me to take a photograph of the child using my iPhone, and then add a short, personalized message about the student to the card. I type in the parents' mailing address, and a week later, it shows up in their mailbox. For me, the $1.00 cost to send a card is totally worth the convenience and customization available through Postagram. Before my maternity leave started, my goal was one postcard a week. It was relatively easy to stick to, and I've gotten some really positive feedback from parents. 

I originally struggled with what to send home as "good news," but I've found that it's easy to identify these kinds of students, even if I don't get know them extremely well during the course of a two-week project:

• Students who are especially kind or supportive to other group members
• Students who manage to focus and buckle down, even though they're typically easily distracted
• Students who ask great questions
• Students who go above and beyond the project goals
• Students who persevere and maintain a positive attitude even when the going gets rough

Do you have any suggestions for sending home good news? What medium do you use?

I'm Still Around!

My apologies for the lack of posts for the last month and half! I've been busy with this pregnancy thing, and not had much time to blog. Now that I'm full term, it's just a lot of waiting around for something to happen. 

In the meantime, I've left my library in the hands of a long-term sub (it's a lot harder to let go than I thought!). Once the baby's born, I plan to take 12 weeks of maternity leave, which should put me back in action sometimes toward the end of February. 

Until then, I'll try to squeeze in a few posts and some great project updates, but hang tight as the blogging decreases while I start this new adventure. 

Enjoy your what's left of your short week and Happy Thanksgiving!

Banned Books Week Bulletin Board

A quick post this morning. Here's a shot of our Banned Books Week bulletin board (which, after putting so much work into, we always leave up for the whole month of October). It features "Censorship Victims" - aka book covers cut into the shape of a dead body, along with postings and info about the Banned Books Week.

What kind of displays do you do for Banned Books Week?

Orientation iPod Video Tours

I don't know about you guys, but orientation is one my least favorite times of the year. I love meeting all the new kids, but I hate repeating the same thing over and over and over. With 5 eighth grade teachers, I do the same exact presentation almost 30 times each fall. Orientation requires a lot of talking - I have to convey loads of information, so even though I try to mix in other activities to keep everyone interested and intersperse some hands-on learning, I'm still exhausted by the end of the day.

So, two years ago, I smartened up. My goal was to create a library orientation activity that didn't result in permanent laryngitis. I had a class set of iPods at my disposal, so I developed a library iPod tour. Using my iPhone and iMovie, I recorded 1-2 minute clips about each section of the library. Students move from station to station around the library. At each station, they watch the corresponding video on the iPod about that zone. After viewing the iPod video, they complete a task.

Here's an example of what students watch at Stop #2 - The Computers.

This is the task they're asked to complete:

Task #2 – Computers: Locking your workstation keeps other people from using your computer account. Predict what might happen if you forget to lock your workstation.

And here's another example - Stop #3 - Graphic Novels.

And the corresponding task:

Task #3 – Graphic Novels: What are three characteristics or traits most graphic novels have in common? You can use the books to help you come up with a list.

When coming up with the tasks, I went out of my way to include questions that were higher level thinking, rather than simply recall. I ask students to rank things, make predictions, and categorize.

Overall, it works well. Students groove on the independence of the activity and the novelty factor of the iPods, and I'm able to convey all the important information without losing my voice.

How do you handle orientation? Any tips for making it easier?