Tech Tools

As you all know, the advancement of technology is not slowing down, so we simply have to keep up. I marched on in this pursuit by attending Vicki Selznick's Top Ten Tech Tools for Librarians at Region 10 this past Tuesday. There turned out to be many more than ten tools presented, but that was not a bad thing. Some, I had used or heard of before and some were brand new. Vicki packed a Symbaloo to the brim with a variety of resources. One of them was Symbaloo, a great tool that divides a page into fifty-two blocks to which images and links can be added. The concept is simple, and that is exactly what makes it so wonderful. Though, I'm still a fan of LiveBinders when it comes to compiling resources for class research projects, since it is possible to upload text and documents, Symbaloo is perfect for quick links for presentations or web pages. 

One tool that I was especially excited about is StatCounter. Vicki has put this on her own school library website to track how many people have visited and, in turn, uses it to justify the need for databases or other resources. Though, numbers aren't all that matter, that's all some people are interested in. 

Another awesome tool was ImageChef. This site has a range of graphics, some of which are animated, that can be used to highlight events or patrons on one's library page. It is available for free, though, there is a fee if you don't want the company name at the bottom and a few more options. While I will use it sparingly, since it could become overwhelming and tacky quickly, I am thinking of using it for various library announcements that I really want noticed!

Google Lit Trips

I attended an all day session at Region 10 on Google Lit Trips last week. I came away loving the idea of lit trips, though, I'm not sure I'll be having the kids make one any time soon. The basic concept is to take a book and plot various locations mentioned throughout the story. Google Earth makes it possible to have a 360 degree view of many, if not most, places in the world. This allows one to better understand the area being discussed and hopefully have an improved knowledge of geography, distance, and various cultures without ever standing up. The idea came from Jerome Burg, a former educator who's "retirement" is now consumed by creating new lit trips and maintaining the site. A number of the lit trips have been created by other educators and I highly recommend using them in your class. They range from mainstays like Esperanza Rising to historical locations like the Anne Frank annex.

In terms of making one or having students make their own, I may give Google a bit more time to work out the kinks. First, Google Earth must be downloaded to your computer. I ran into some issues with my own 2009 Macbook, since it uses "old" software. I can only imagine trying to install this on all of the computers in our lab, which are older and block most installations. Also, there were only 9 in the class I was taking and it was running slow due to the large amount of bandwidth necessary for operation. Imagine an entire class. Secondly, while it was easy to find the various locations, the process of linking one to the next proved to be more difficult. You have to make sure a certain box doesn't close and then when you click on a location it doesn't automatically line up, leading to a lot of zooming in and out and shifting side to side. I was dizzy by the end of the day.

In short, I came away with a lot of ideas for English, History, and Science classes, though I'm going to wait before jumping in feet first and having students create their own. 

Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell

I had a good feeling about Eleanor & Park when I opened up to the first page to find that it was set in August, 1986. Not only the year, but the month I was born. The two main characters, however, are teenagers and are dealing with much more difficult life events than I was as a newborn.

Eleanor doesn't blend in, with her red hair, curvaceous body, and eclectic style. Not surprisingly, she's an instant and easy target for the the kids at her new high school. As if this isn't enough to deal with, she has a mother who is doing all she can to keep her and her four younger siblings fed, clothed, and safe from her abusive alcoholic stepfather.

Park, on the other hand, is a pro at blending in. He compliments his Caucasian/Asian traits with all black attire. Unlike Eleanor, Park's parents provide nothing but love and understanding, though, the latter is sometimes difficult for his military minded father.

Their two worlds meet when Park, begrudgingly, allows Eleanor to sit beside him on the bus. In time the two silently bond over comics, as Park first notices Eleanor reading over his shoulder; leading to him lending her comics to read. A relationship develops with uncertainty as the two test the waters of conversation, holding hands, and first kisses.

However, what sets this book apart from other gushy love stories is Rowell's exquisite grasp of what it is to be a teenager, from the dialogue to the thought-process. There is something so sincere about both characters and the seriousness of Eleanor's situation, though difficult to read at times, is believable and makes their relationship so much more than a high school fling. The story comes to a roaring climax when Eleanor's stepfather's wickedness overflows and the two are forced to make some difficult decisions that will inevitably affect their future.

Keeping Current Events Current

This past week I worked with the 6th grade history teachers to introduce the students to a year-long current events project. They began this unit last year and had a good deal of success, so the improvements that were made this year really took it to the next level.

I met with Monsie before the project and we decided that it would be good for the students to stick with a couple of "themes" throughout the year; like politics, sports, health, etc. By giving the students a choice, they will be more interested in what they read and if they are unable to find a quality article pertaining to one of the themes, there is always another one. We also wanted to make sure that there was some deeper thinking taking place, so we decided that in addition to a 4-6 sentence summary of the article, the students will answer two "essential questions" in 4-6 sentences.

• Is this a "new" or "old" issue? Why is it old/new?
• Have you seen this theme come up before? When and where?
• How does this issue relate to a topic brought up in class? Explain.
• Is this issue affecting a large or small group of people? Explain.
• Who does this issue affect? Why? Give evidence.
• How is this issue connected to our daily lives? Give evidence.
• Do you share the author's perspective? If not, why? Explain. 

We felt that these questions push the students to question what they read, make inferences and connections, and relate the topics to their own experiences or to the experiences of those around them. With the addition of class discussions and presentations throughout the year pertaining to current events, the students will hopefully come away more aware of what's taking place around them locally and around the world. 

Over the three days of instruction we 

• covered the websites and databases given within the LiveBinder
• created a new project in NoodleTools for their citations
• discussed and practiced paraphrasing
• chose themes
• found one article
• paraphrased that article
• divided into groups of two and provided feedback on the paraphrase
• rewrote the paraphrase
• answered two of the essential questions
• and, FINALLY, cited the article

The students were engaged, for the most part, throughout. The more say they have in deciding what they are working on, the better. Also, I felt that this was one of the more productive collaborations I've had with a teacher in a while. We were able to fill in the the blanks for one-another and were truly on the same page. I look forward to watching how this project progresses throughout the year. 

Fall

Cooler temperatures mixed with busy school days always make me feel like Fall has truly arrived. The past couple of weeks have had plenty of both! I introduced all of the 5th and 6th graders to the book review process we're starting this year and there was a great response, as you can see from the ticket filled circulation desk.

Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas I'll do a drawing for prizes from all of the tickets, so the kids were glad to learn that the more books they read and review, the better chance they have of winning.

Today, I started the 6th grade current events project, which will go throughout the year. The students will select two themes, like science, art, or health, to follow throughout the year. The scope of news that they will focus on will vary from one trimester to the next. The first trimester it will be national, the second will be European, and the third will be Latin America. Each week the students will be expected to find and paraphrase articles, ask essential questions, and make presentations periodically. We went over the expectations, the resources on the LiveBinder, and reviewed the paraphrasing process today:

1. Read the article once through without taking notes.
2. Read the article a second time, underline/highlight, and take notes while thinking about your essential questions.
3. Write your summary and respond to essential questions without looking at the article. Reference back for specific spelling, dates, and names. 

In class, the students read through and entire article and then I asked them to tell me some facts. Of course, they relayed the information in their own words and I pointed out that this is exactly what they will be doing on their own, except writing the information down instead of saying it out loud. 

A couple of the classes met in the Lower School Learning Commons, since the lab was being used. They were excited to sit on the story steps and were in aw of the new smart board. These classes seemed more engaged than usual, so I may change the scenery more often!  

Wildwood, by Colin Meloy, illustrated by Carson Ellis

When Prue McKeel's baby brother, Mac, is swept into the Portland sky by a murder of crows she's simultaneously dumbfounded, scared, and heartbroken. However, there is no time to dwell in her feelings as she chases them into the uncharted area just outside of the city known as Wildwood.

This area is rarely, if ever, entered and Prue quickly finds out it's a world entirely its own. Just before she enters the woods she happens to run into a boy from school, Curtis, who insists on going along for the ride. Soon, they encounter a group of coyotes in military uniform that kidnap Curtis, leaving Prue all alone. The two have different, but equally wild experiences, as they happen upon good and back creatures, including a wise owl, a helpful rat, an eagle that is a general, the evil governess, a rabbit that is a constable, a mystic name Iphigenia, and a melting pot of creatures that make up a group of bandits. All creatures walk, talk and act like humans in this area made up of Wildwood, Northwood, and Southwood. The creatures of each area have their own ways, but overcome their differences when all of The Wood is threatened by the governess who intends to sacrifice Mac to the ivy, so that it will take over and she can rule supreme.

Prue and Curtis both find that they have inconceivable family ties to The Wood and each are forced to make very difficult decisions that, in turn, ensure the safety of Mac and in some cases change their lives foreer. The combination of Meloy's melodious magical narrative with Ellis' deliciously detailed pen and watercolor illustrations is beyond captivating. So, turn on some Decemberists and snuggle up by the fire with this book that goes hand-in-hand with all the magic of Fall. 

Opening up about the shutdown

My morning commute always begins with NPR, so I found out about 6 hours after the initial announcement at midnight that the government is, in fact, being partially shutdown. Though, many of us, including myself, will continue to go to work and be paid, there are a number of people who won't. To even think about the stress they must be under makes my shoulders tense up. However, the simple fact of the matter is that most people will go on about their daily tasks without a second thought, since it doesn't affect them directly. Though, the reality is that we are all affected in some way. 

I realized this while checking my daily blog feed when I ran across this post by The Institute of Museum and Library Services:

"The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is closed due to a partial shutdown of the  United States Government.  As a result, IMLS is not engaged in any grant-making or other agency activities.  During this time, we will not be able to review or respond to any form of communication.  No payments for grant programs or contracts will be made by IMLS until the agency is reopened.  The agency website will remain accessible, but will not be updated until operations resume. Please refer to www.imls.gov for additional information."

This is a source I use regularly to make sure I'm up to date on the current news and trends in libraries. I, along with everyone else, will now be without this useful resource for an unknown amount of time and all work at these institutions will come to a standstill. The resources at these institutions that aren't online will not be accessible and the librarians will not be available to provide assistance or continue to maintain, add, and make resources available to the public.

Then, I decided to Google information about the shutdown and found this:

The link led to this article:

You read correctly, today is the 123rd anniversary of the opening of Yosemite National Park and it will not be visited by a single person. 

I write about this,not to give an opinion on the current events, but to present a perfect opportunity for educators to make this into a learning experience for our students. What series of events led to this point? What parts of the government dealt with this issue? What is the stance of our local and state politicians on this issue? Has this happened in the past? How can this issue be resolved?

Also, beyond the facts of this situation, teachers can bring to light the fact that this headliner is taking the spotlight from other historical events, like the roll out of open enrollment; the first phase of the The Affordable Care Act. Was this intentional? How have various news sources covered this event? What is The Affordable Care Act? How is our state dealing with the enrollment?

What a great opportunity to work on those research skills and have a hearty debate on current issues! One of my favorite news sources for kids that I recently ran across is Newsela. You can register for free as a student, teacher, or parent to access articles that are written about issues around the world that can then be read at various reading levels. There are also quizzes provided to test for comprehension and teachers can see their students' results instantly. 

Though, this is not an event to be proud of as a nation, it is one to be learned from. Our students are our future politicians, so start the discussion now. That way they will be fully prepared to discuss and compromise with the best of them when they are the ones in Washington.