What happens on a snow day, really

A snow day, yay!  How did we get it?  I bargained with Mother Nature, of course.  I promised that I would do certain things if we got to stay home, boring, mundane things that were overdue -- but necessary.  How did I really spend the day, why I did them, of course.  I don't want to jinx snow days for everyone else. So I worked on everything I promised, and I cooked as I always do on a snow way.  I mean, what if the power goes out and I don't have a big pot of spaghetti sauce done?  And I sat in my comfy chair with my warm blanket in front of my fireplace and I read.  Actually, I had to read the boring, mundane things I had been putting off.  But that was okay, I was in my  pj's in front of the fireplace, drinking hot chocolate.  And for a while, I just stared out the window, enjoying the show put on by Mother Nature.  So that's my snow day, what is yours?

I read, you read, what about your students?

What makes a reader?  Many books and articles have been written on the subject, studies have been done and yet it seems to get more difficult all the time for students to actually check out library books.  Is it time, everyone is so busy all the time -- is reading the thing that gets dropped?  Is it technology?  Do we want pictures instead of words?  Are there no good books left?
I like to think that a lot of it is based on enthusiasm. The best thing is if the reader has a passion and zeal for reading -- these individuals will make the time to read, and demand that books are made available to them.  If this is not the case, then the "book seller" AKA teacher or librarian must be the one with enthusiasm, and be persuasive enough to entice one into at least trying out a new title.
Once in a while passion and "selling" are combined in a friend who will not rest until they share a great read with someone else.
I have a few choice books I offer to various reluctant readers:

• "I Hunt Killers", a mystery about a teen age boy whose father is a serial killer (behind bars) and whose town has a series of murders, which he is convinced is a serial killer.  Has his father taught someone knew, is it the boy himself, or is it something else?  The plot moves fast with great characters, and enough plot twists to keep you engaged throughout.
• 13 Reasons Why", a realistic fiction story of a suicide. A boy receives a box of cassette tapes (13 sides) which the girl who committed suicide sent to share the 13 things done by others she felt led to her suicide.  While it sounds like a real downer, it is well done and can lead to many great discussions.
• "Cinder" a sci fi fairy tale retelling of Cinderella.  This is one of the most unique variations I have seen, with lots of action, fast paced, and not too girly.  Because it is the first book of a series, it is great for that reader who doesn't want to go through the effort of learning new characters and settings with each book.

Do you have any "go to" books you pull out when you are trying to reach a student?

Lexie or love reading levels?

I love to read!  It is my escape, my refuge, my adventure.  I have wonderful friends in the series books I read and favorite places I visit in stories I love.  So why is it I am avoiding 3 books I must finish?  Because these are books not chosen by me; these are books I am required to read.  No really, I am working with a class and need to read what the students are reading so I can write the comprehension quizzes (here's where collaboration starts, folks!)  I have been doing everything I can possibly think of NOT to read these books.  Why?  Because they are not books of my choosing.  When I found myself cleaning my bathrooms before I got started reading, it made me think, "Is this how students feel when they are told they must read a certain book, one in their lexile range or in a required genre?"  The light bulb came on and I realized how those students feel, the one's who are at risk so teachers  select books for them?  Books that will be just right?  I am not looking to start a debate about the merits of self-selection versus correct reading level, but I am concerned about student engagement.  I did read my three books, I finshed them, even.  But I don't look back and think about the characters I met, I don't wonder about will happen to them next.  They were an assignment, pure and simple, and that is sad.
So here's the discussion starter: what do you do when students come to you with a lexile range and say I have to get  a book at this level?

Just sayin', have you read "The Book Whisperer" by Donalyn Miller or "Book Love" by Penny Kittle?

Testing, or Tested, that is the question

Education is not to reform students or amuse them or to make them expert technicians. It is to unsettle their minds, widen their horizons, inflame their intellects, teach them to think straight, if possible.
—Robert M. Hutchins


     I don't know about where you are, but here assessment, which should be spelling with a capital A, is taking over education.  Teachers as well as students are undergoing rigorous (yes, an other educational buzz word!) evaluation and another layer of assessment (also known as testing) has been heaped on students.  It all has me running like a hamster in its wheel, never actually getting anywhere.  We are in a time where there is so much to learn and so many exciting ways to teach it and it just seems a shame that we have this giant A hanging over our heads.  I am trying to continue with enthusiasm and encouragement for all.

      While I am fussing  over this state of education I decided to share a few books that deal with testing. I just finished reading "The Testing" by Joelle Charbonneau,  another dystopian novel in which w have almost destroyed the world with our wars and the authorities are looking for the brightest and best to help lead the world to recovery and further advancement. Students are chosen each year from their small communities, and if they can make it through the Testing they are admitted to the University. There is romance, treachery, survival and betrayal through the ordeal and in the end, your memory is wiped so you don't remember what you went through; or do you?

     In "Shadow and Bone" by Leigh Bardugo, all children are tested as small children to find out if they have a gift.  If so, they are sent to a special school to become a Greisha, a member of the magical guard that protects the country.Alina purposely fails the test as a young child so she can stay with her best friend, Mal. Eventually her powerful gift is discovered and Alina is tested on many levels, both with her gift and with the way of life.
One final thought about testing, what are you doing to improve the testing environment where you work? 

The psyche behind book selection!

I have been working hard, as I do every year, to encourage my students to challenge themselves as they choose books to read. "Try something different," and "Haven't you read that already?" are comments I hear myself say frequently as my kiddos browse.
Over the weekend I found myself trapped at the hospital waiting for a family member to respond to treatment.  I was stressed out!  I pulled out my handy ipad and made a quick purchase from Amazon, not one of those many professional books on my list, not one of those front runners for &YA awards, not even a thoughtful (read as challenging) adult novel, but a trashy pulp fiction novel with no redeeming qualities besides the fact that it was pure entertainment and escape.
Now I am reflecting on this choice, and wondering if I do a disservice to my students when I do not encourage truly "free choice".  Shouldn't they be able to make the choice to read what they want for whatever reason they have to read?  Which is my higher calling, raising those reading test scores, or raising individuals who will read for the rest of their lives?
Does anyone else wrestle with this issue?

What books are "hot trends" at my school this year!

The school year is underway, and I am ready for the wild ride!  It is so great when a student pops their head in to say, "Can I check out a book?"  Yes, folks, a book!  Just to read because they want to, and usually its a print format too!  After a few class book talks, books are flying off the shelf.  Here are a few of the books I have shared:
Sylo -  an island community is shocked by the death of a high school football player, followed by rumors of other deaths.  Suddenly government officials appear on the island to isolate the "epidemic", but nothing is what it seems.  A suspense thriller that provides quite a ride, you don't know what is happening until the last two pages.  This is the first in a series.
Period. 8 - another great book from Chris Crutcher!  During the 8th period study hall type class students under the guidance of a seasoned teacher in his last year before retirement meet to talk about whatever is on their mind.  One of their classmates disappears and suddenly you realize that you don't really know that person you sat next to in class for all of those years.  Plenty of thrill and angst, loved it!
A Thousand Words - a timely story about a picture, a thoughtless moment, and the ramifications of an action.  Realistic characters deal with the consequences of sexting, a good story that shares what happens without preaching.

After such a great beginning, I can't wait to see what the rest of the school year will bring.

New books to share with students this fall!

Ready or not, the students are coming back to school tomorrow!  Full of excitement and promise, it is bound to be a great year.  My goal is for it to be a wonderful year inside the media center as well.  How to do this?  Have trending book titles, cutting edge technology, and a welcoming space where students feel at home.
I am in the middle of reading "Boy Nobody", a thriller about a teenage assassin, its full of mystery and intrigue, with the required teen angst and romance thrown in for good measure.  Another mysterious book is "The Brides of Rollrock Island" a story of selkies and witches, told as a cautionary tale full of melancholy and regret, told in lyrical language and with a setting of times gone by. 
These are just two of the new books I plan to share with my students; how about you?

Back to school, are you ready? I am and here's why

It's that time of year, back to school!  How many of us are ready?  We've read professionally, learned new web 2.0 or technology skills to share, and took advantage of the myriad of PD available, live and online.  If you did, good job; now is the time to figure out how to most effectively share this with your teachers.  Will you have a 10 for tech, a ten minute overview of a new tool you have learned?  Or maybe an enticing email teaser, if you plan with me you will find out about .....?  Maybe you are like me and you are a blitz bomber; just bound in to a planning meeting with "Ooohh, look what I have to share with you!  And, I brought candy!"  Whatever your style, remember it is not really professional development unless you use what you've learned.
Here's one great tool I use: Scoop It (http://www.scoop.it/).  You set up the topics you want searched, and this program culls the Internet for possibilities, puts them together in a magazine-like forum, and delivers it to your email box for you.  You then get to decide what articles/links work for you and you add them to your page.  People can follow you, I think this would be great to collect information for a particular course project.  In the past I have used it for "women in the military" when a student was doing a research project, I have a technology in education page, inquiry in library, and others.  I love that new material is collected and sorted for me; and it also provides a place to save this info so I can find it again!
Any great tools you have discovered this summer? Please share!

10 on the 10th Picture books for High School use!

I love picture books!  I don't care what grade level I am teaching, it can always be improved with a good picture book.  Here are ten I plan to have in my collection.

10    on the 10^th  Picture books

It's a Book by Lane Smith

While not the newest, it is still a powerful choice with which to begin the school year.  There is certainly power in a book. I love to use the video!

 

 

War Dogs: Churchill and Rufus by Kathryn Selbert

This book shows us several things; the English side of World War II, and the softer side of Winston Churchill.  Every illustrated page includes Churchill’s beloved little poodle.  A great humanizing factor is demonstrated here.

 

Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld

Love this one!  Great on so many levels.  One, how should you use that exclamation point? I love to overuse it, myself.  Could have students writing “books” for other punctuation marks, but I really like the underlying idea of finding your place – should spark great class discussion.

Chuck Close: Face Book by Chuck Close

With the three parts to each page like a flip book, Chuck provides an interactive approach to sharing his art, and his disability.  Engaging and inspiring telling of the life challenges Close has had to make, but through it he continues to create art.

 

 Monsieur Marceau:  Actor Without Words by Leda Schubert

Did you know he worked in the French Underground during World War II?  He helped to move children to safety; using wordless gestures to show direction.  A very interesting biography, good for looking deeper at what we think we already know.

 

The Dark by Lemony Snicket

This is a powerful narrative about something we can all recognize, a fear of the dark.  A great mentor text if you have teachers who ask students to create picture books for a class project.  Of course, I could also love it because it is illustrated by Jon Klassen!

 

Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole

Done is gray, with black pencil lines, this wordless picture book clearly demonstrates the power of humanity, one person helping others.

 

 

More by I. C. Springman

A fable for our time, this tale told sparsely with words and more with illustration, sends the message “too much stuff”. Sure to spark classroom conversation.

 

Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems by Gail Carson Levine

This is a delight, inspired by William Carlos Williams’s famous poem ”This Is Just to Say,”,  models  fun, thought ful poetry  students can create.

 

 

The Fox in the Library by Lorenz Pauli

OK, I admit it; this book is here because it takes place in a library!  The fox did not come to read, but that may change.

10 on the 10th! Coming soon to a blogpost near you.

My friend Cathy Mere started this a few years ago and it has really grown.  (I will give you the link in my next post!)  I would like my 10 this year to be amazing informational (nonfiction, but with flair!) books for the high school library/classroom.  Any ideas?  I will give you credit if I use it.
Thanks in advance for the assist!
Liz

Today's mantra -- finish what I start!

Today's mantra -- finish what I start! I have so many half-done projects and this day the day I complete them. Or at least as many as possible! Those of you who know my great talent for procrastination will find this very entertaining, I know! 
How many of you are in the same boat?  Great ideas for you library begun but not finished?  That online book club idea?  A new book display?  Starting that dynamic web page?  It is so easy to let those things slide as you struggle to get the day to day job finished, but think for a minute; how do you feel at the end of the day?  Are you simply content with your accomplishments, or excited by what you have done?  Or more importantly, how do your patrons feel?  
August is right around the corner, let's use this time to try and create some fresh ideas ready for the start of school, or at least finish some you have started.

Ready, set, begin ......

Reflection on Change

Change is uncomfortable.  Is that because we are creatures who crave the comfort of a standard form, or because we have that lazy gene and like it when we don't have to try hard?   I don't have the answer, and if you asked me last week  I would say that I liked change.  Maybe I am a rabble-rouser or an agent of change, or just an individual who is easily bored, but I would say change can be good.
Why am I thinking about change right now?  I think it is because I am currently taking a course that is causing me to question my status quo, and it is hard.  And messy.  And I am feeling uneasy about it.  Maybe it is more authentic to say that I like to be the one in control of my change; the setting, time, breadth and depth of it.  When I publicize what changes I have made, I am the change maker ready to help others rise to this challenge as well. 
But not this week, this week I am the squeaky wheel, the naysayer, the "but, what about ...." and I am distressed by this.  Does this mean I was fraudulent in the past, I'm not that change advocate?  Or maybe it depends of what I am changing, what area of my life is undergoing change.
Maybe by next week I will feel like a change maker again, ready to lead the charge, but not right now.  Not today...  today I need contemplation, and reflection, not persuasion and coercion.

Annual Report done, just in time for Summer!

Well, it's finished, my Annual Report.  Here is the link if you want to check it out! http://bit.ly/16n79MF   I learned several things during the creation of this report, hope they are helpful to you.

1. Be sure to take lots of pictures and even video throughout the year.  I find you are either a picture taker or not. If you are not, find a student who can do it for you.  Photos share a lot of information that can't be adequately expressed in a formal report.
2. Find the human element.  Don't forget to add events or activities that show your media center as the hub of the school; not just the research center.
3. Let your personality shine through.  You are an educational leader in your building, show how.
4.  Toot you horn!  Yes, this is difficult, but your media center needs it.

Use your report "creation" as a time for you to reflect on your year; what went well, what you would like to revamp, what you may have missed.  Statistics can point out gaps, take heed of that information.  Did you neglect a content area that needs curation?  You may even want to take the time to do a computer evaluation of your collection; plans for building a particular section of your resources can be a part of your plans for next year.

I was reluctant to get this done, but I am so glad I did.  Here it is June and I already have some goals for next year based on what I learned.

The school year is over, is your annual report finished?

Great ideas for that pesky annual report 

The blog "Adventures of Library Girl" has some good points and great examples of annual reports.  I will confess that I do not have a good track record when it comes to this, but after reading this posting, I am off to school tomorrow to create mine, then I will share it with everyone I can.  It's true that others do not know what I actually do and why, and they won't unless I share that information.  I will have a new principal and superintendent, so this is the time to step up.  I will share it when it is finished.  If you have one, please feel free to share it with us!

End of a school year, time for reflection

Only two weeks left with students!  Where did the time go?  I had plans to do so many things, was I successful or not?  Think it is time to do some reflection on the year; what things I did, what I didn't, and how did those decisions impact student learning.
This would be a good time to finish my annual report (must start it to finish it, though!)  Guess that is a good place to start, and I can use the report to guide my plans for next school year.   Stay tuned as I start this process; compiling my report and analyzing my results, and then making new plans.

I know there are things I am happy about; my Battle of the Books event, and new this year, a traveling BOB team.  The work I did with a special class for at risk students (it is a Read 180 class, Scholastic, if you know that) to make them more authentic readers and the work with my ELL classes because of the grant we received. 

I added new databases and some eBooks to the collection, as well as lots of fiction recommended by students, and put print magazines out as well; not sure that is curation, but it is collection development.

Areas I still need work are building a collaborative atmosphere with my content area teachers; Science and Social Studies are challenging; next year?

Looking over this rambling I realize I have a lot to do in the next two weeks! Yikes - I will continue to share what I am doing and hope you tell me how you are handling some of these things.

Bring on Summer!!

Where has the time gone?

What, Christmas and Valentine's Day have already passed? Where have I been? Well let me tell you. This has been my year of presentations, everywhere, on a variety of subjects. So I have been talking, just not to you. But I'm back and ready for conversation.
So many people are talking about Common Core being an opportunity for school librarians to take a leadership role, I am wondering what you think about that? Are you finding that teachers are coming to you for help? Do you know where to find great nonfiction texts that meet the diverse needs of their students?  And most importantly, are you keeping up with the technology your students are experts of?
These are are areas I am struggling through; 21st century learning, a place for books and literature, keeping students engaged and teachers supported, and meeting my own professional development needs.
Over the next few weeks I will delve into these topics, with more questions than answers, and hope you will join me with your own ideas and together we can create a professional learning network.

The balance beam struggle

Currently I am thinking about balances. We all need balance, in what we eat, how we spend our time,  even how we spend our money. According to my nutritionist, I am NOT balanced and we are working on that. (This means limiting chocolate and carbs, what had been the major staple of my diet.) Right now I am wondering about my library budget, is it in balance? The part of me that craves chocolate says no, more money should be spent on books to support reading for pleasure; while that piece of my brain concerned with 21st century learning says, spend more on online databases and technology. With all the changes in delivery of instruction, technologies are necessary, and can bring student engagement -- but books, with all the stories and people and adventures and mysteries can lift a student up and out of their own lives, bringing perspective and insight. I don't think the school budget dilemma  will be as easily solved as having a doctor (or principal?) tell you what to eat, or spend.  I think we will all be struggling on this balance beam for a while.
Are you feeling the struggle, too?

Riding the whitewater rapids of this school year

Whoo- hoooo! This school year has started with a rush, all good things, of course. Hope yours has as well. One of my primary objectives for the year was to bring more bodies into the media center - success. Students come in as soon as the door is unlocked, "can I  get this printed off before class?" and "will you edit this paper for me?" And even "I need a new book to read, anything new?"  They are there all day and after school, too. It is busy and loud and chaotic and wonderful.the best part, authentic learning is occurring! During the school day there are whole classes coming to research, because I have planned with the teacher, small groups working together, peer tutoring, and more. Over the next few weeks I will share some of the particulars, and ways I hope to begin assessing this learning.

Strategizing the upcoming school year

I have been sitting here watching the women running the 26 mile marathon at the Olympics.  (Yes, I know I should be out there running, walking, or moving with them somehow but that is for another blog entry!)  But listening to the commentators talk about the strategies employed by these runners made me think, how should I be strategizing this school year to come. 
Pacing yourself.  How many of us start the year running then never quite make it to the finish line.  We are excited to try that new reading promotion, or start that new club, but by January we have about given it up.  To keep this feeling of failure away, we need to think long and hard BEFORE beginning a new program; do I really have the time and energy to continue to the finish?  Sketch out the year marking all the places you already have obligations (book fairs, research projects, testing that closes your library) and decide this new project would really be an addition to your program or a drain on your time.
Checking your spot in the pack. The runner out in front does it all alone, there is no help.  The group running a little behind, in a group benefit from it.  There is less pressure from the wind or the crowd, you find support even if it is unspoken.  It helps you stay on the correct pace and heading for that finish line.  I plan to do this through continuous conversation with my peers, other librarians I know are heading in the same direction I am.  We can help each other out, share our thoughts and ideas, provide ourselves with an understanding cheering squad, if you will.
Staying hydrated. OK, how many of us run ragged through the year!  Never taking a sick day, even when we should.  Staying late or going in early to work on one more thing.  Saying yes to whatever we are asked to do.  All of this makes us perfect victims, but not healthy, well rounded professionals.  We need to remember to take a "hydration" break, to recharge, to relax, to reflect.  It could be a mental health day, a mani/pedi, or a day devoted to reading in bed.  Maybe it is a weekend breakfast with friends, but whatever it is we need to take this time to hydrate ourselves so we can finish strong.

What kind of "athlete" are you?  Whether you compare your self to the long jump, the sprinter, or even the synchronized swimmer think about how you plan to do your event this year; plan, strategize, practice, and reflect.

Summer of Personalized Professional Development

This is a great summer! No, not the hot, hot, hot weather, but all the wonderful opportunities to learn more and engage with folks about what I am interested in.  I have been creating and enjoying my own personalized PD, focusing on those areas I want to, not a district driven expectation.  Don't get me wrong, my district can do good PD, but still ... 
In June I attended ALA in Anaheim, great!  Went to sessions about new databases (yes, I am geeky that way!), listened to publishers talking about what new books would be coming out in the fall, and wandered the vendor hall chatting individually with those businesses I had an interest in.  I also got to meet and talk with my ALSC committee members with whom I will be working for the next two years (Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Videos). I came home with a suitcase full of books, which I am currently reading my way through, and a year's subscription to some ABC-Clio databases. 
In July I was back on the road to the Mazza Institute at the Findlay University (Ohio).  This is a week of illustrators and authors sharing what they do with additional breakout sessions by folks that related to teaching and learning.  (I actually got to hear Mary Higgins Clark, what a hoot! And David Diaz, and Wendell and Florence Minor!)If you don't know about the Mazza Museum, it is an amazing collection of illustrator art and the picture books they came from.  My kind of museum with original art and the artists I know, children's illustrators, and the book the art was from.  Gorgeous, amazing, and wonderful; I love it there! Here is the link to learn more about it: http://www.findlay.edu/offices/resources/mazza/default.htm
Also in July I was able to attend a wonderful one day Library Symposium held at Kent State.  I heard Candace Fleming and Shelley Pearsall (maybe I will give historical fiction and biographies a better look this year!) as well as some great sessions of web resources and a wonderful session about new young adult titles.   If you didn't know it before, yes I am a geeky girl who loves to spend her free time learning.  But why not?  I get to talk to people who are interested in the same things I am, I get my professional batteries recharged, and I always come away happy.
This first week of August finds me at another conference, this time it is held at my own high school.  It is an Innovative Learning Conference that has been held for the past few years and is getting larger each time.  Yesterday I heard Will Richardson (twice!), learned some new tips and tricks from the great folks at INFOhio, and co-presented a session myself.  I will be back there today, ready for more fun summer vacation opportunities!
How do you spend your summer vacation?