Library Teaching Ideas from Network Meeting

Here are some great suggestions which came from the brains of our 50+ librarians that met in October at WSWHE BOCES!  These library content teaching suggestions are great for someone looking to align their instructional areas with Common Core goals: 

 

POINT OF VIEW

Elementary

Class discussion Post Read Aloud

Fractured Fairytales – True Story Three Little Pigs vs. Original Tale

Debate

Use novels that are told by two voices (i.e. Jake and Lily by Spinelli)

Mock Trials

Voices in the Park (Browne)

Journal from different “Points of View”

Diary of a Spider (series) – first person view

Secondary

Points of View + Role Play (situational)

Witness – Karen Hesse- Great book for Point of View

Position papers

Historical Fiction (journal) and primary source

                 compare point of view

HS Databases – Utilize SIRS when instructing Point of View + locating articles that would validate either side of a social issue

Mock Trials

Keesha’s House

Salem Witch Trial – accused or accuser

Rewrite Cinderella from other characters’ point of view

Show clips of heated debate provide bio info, have students figure out who belongs to which bio

Edmodo – character role-play

(Template on Google Docs for Facebook)

Source Evaluation

CARS -   Credibility

Accuracy Authority

Reasonableness/Relevance

Sponsorship – supported

BOGUS SITES

BACKUP (value as good or bad site)

B – bias

A – author          

C – credibility/current

K – Knowledge (adding to it)

U – Understand

P – Page navigation

BrainPOP intro video

Evaluate

       Purpose

       Audience intended?

       Currency?

Cybersmart resources

Example – Hoax websites:

Oct 31 not available – part of commonsensemedia.org

Learning parts of website – URL – sponsor, etc.

  

INFERENCE

Elementary

Work backwards from conclusion

Use text that appeals to age group

Use graphic organizer

Combine background knowledge with context clues to formulate            new knowledge

Student-generated questions to guide research

Use picture books (wordless)

Colloquial expressions:  “If I told you once, I’ve told you a thousand

                times…” What does that mean?

 Secondary

Combine background knowledge with context clues to formulate new knowledge

Colloquialisms – and idioms

 You drive me to drink

 Nothing to write home about

 Newspaper headlines

 Butterflies in my stomach

Concrete example:  A friend throws away pizza after one bite – will you buy the pizza for lunch?  Why or why not?

Predicting

Cause/Effect

Clear lesson objective

MAIN IDEA

Elementary

Use Ham’s by Burdich VanAllsburg

Use picture books

 Wordless picture book

 Who is the dude?

Use painting/illustration

 What is the main idea?

Read short story – students write new title

Secondary

Give them a full note card to write about what they read – then give

            ½ a note card and write – give an even smaller card and have

            them boil it down again or limit number of words

Oxford Art Encyclopedia Online for paintings – use classical

            paintings as a visual prompt

Have students read a text and summarize main idea in a faux tweet (140 characters)

  Narrowing your search

Elementary

Demonstrate an actual search

            Natural vs. Boolean

            Show advanced options

Demonstrate with objects – have them sort

Demonstrate with students if they had (ex) hat and jeans

Order cards (1-fruit, 2-apple, 3-Granny Smith)

Start with an index as example

Online shopping – clothing, jeans, color

 Secondary

Keywords

•  Order makes a difference
•  Choosing proper keywords
•  Using Boolean
•  Using timeline

Use pyramid search – Brainstorm

•  Europe – WW II
•  France
•  1942

Related

•  Narrower
•  Main Idea
•  Broader

 

Use database and model broader and narrower terms – compare results

 Finding Evidence and Facts

Elementary

I know _________________________________

because ________________________________

Credible facts to support project

            Mascot choice – elementary

            8^th grade – holocaust – Who was most evil?  Hitler or SS?

Role-playing based on research ex: Salem Witch Trials

Debates (Presidential) using fact checkers

Ask – How do you know that?

Expect verbally what you expect in writing “According to…”

Secondary

Locate resources to answer essential questions

Look at each resource

 Pull evidence – as direct quote from text

 Summarize – quote

 Write interpretation as to how it relates or answers essential questions

  

Librarian Network Meeting 2012

This post is to review all the great ideas, tools, and teaching tips that we shared today.   We had almost 50 librarians in attendance, but realize that many cannot get release time from their buildings.  Therefore, please take the time to visit these links below and ask you district representatives to bring you up to speed on other news:

Click here to see photos - Thanks to Diane Cordell, photographer who joined us!

• We Introduced some new eBooks purchased for all districts.  See Sharon Hinkle, if you would like to know more.  These include: Marshall Cavendish, ROSEN's Spotlight on NY (3 titles), and Overdrive titles.  
• Link to the NYSED approved APPR rubric  now available on the state ed website:  click here   After two years of writing, tweaking, asking people to pilot this, and more, I am happy to say this was approved.  Just when I had about given up hope, I received a call from state ed.   I remember last summer trying to meet an original deadline for submission.  We were on vacation at a remote cabin in the Adirondacks--without Internet service or cell service.  My husband was "fishing," keeping his foot on the trolling motor to stay within wireless connection of another home...while I poached connectivity long enough to press "send."   I look back and laugh at the event.  Little did I know that was the beginning of a year long process.   This is good news as it puts us on the NYSED map as having a tool for "teacher" evaluation.   
• We spent some time at this meeting discussing the Empire State Fluency Continuum, and how to use the tools in our binders for effective instruction on library related skills such as: Main idea, research, web evaluation, point of view, opinion, forming a hypothesis and more.  See the approved bullets we have built SLO assessments for on our SLS website.    Not only did we discuss the binder, but discussed innovative ways to deliver these learning objectives at different grade levels. 
• We discussed the Vocabulary shift in the CCSS and the support a librarian can offer.   Vocabulary is integral to comprehension (see my upcoming  blog post  for a spotlight on vocabulary & the CC).  Therefore, we can help students read and understand novels, news, non-fiction and more by embracing ways to get students tuned-in to vocabulary.      We are offering discount pricing on a new web tool for Vocabulary called VISUALTHESAURUS.COM    We currently have a free trial.  Please disseminate this to your staff.  (It has to be disseminated in an email.  If you copy and paste it into a browser, it won't work.)  Try this link and set up an educator account.   Be certain to scroll down the homepage on their site and check out the VOCABULARYGRABBER  tool also.  Both are great examples of tools to engage students in understanding and comprehension.    

  

• Another topic of discussion was SYNTHESIS.   How do we get students to comprehend and synthesize.   Ask you colleagues about the activities we participated in to embrace and understand the links between close reading, info-mining, and synthesis.   Our new Synthesis Booklets were handed out and we practiced being 'overwhelmed' by new knowledge, difficult material, and mental indigestion -- to replicate the experience of our students.  Participants were shown techniques to help students find their way to understanding.  
• Hoping there would be time, I had a presentation planned for an introduction to Digital Footprints.  Time did not allow us to cover this, so we will be hosting a webinar on this topic shortly.  
• Polly's eTools for the Common Core were spotlighted, digested and discussed.  Check out the wiki she prepared for our PD at this link.     We had a Backchannel going for discussion, hastag #slscooltools, and our hashtag for the morning was #wswhesls   -- Check out the hashtag archives via Tweetdeck, if you'd like to see the participatory comments.     

 Piktochart.com is a great alternative to Powerpoint for summarizing and encouraging higherlevel thought.  See my article in August's School Library Journal to understand the role of INFOGRAPHICS  in the Common Core.  

If you missed the day, you missed connections and new ideas for instruction.  We missed you, but realize that there are many valid reasons people could not make it.   This year with SLO's, assessment, district PD conflicts, and other new district policies not allowing teachers to leave the building, there were many smiling faces missing.  However, we still had over half our group!  So, for that we are happy!   We hope to post some photos and video clips of our suggestions for rolling-out Common Core standards in the library.  Stay-tuned! 

General Membership Info - WSWHESLS

Librarian Network Meeting

October 4^th – Gick Road

No Charge – Funded by the SLS

8:00 registration, 8:30 – 3:00   

email Jkehoe@wswheboces.org  with your registration information. 

___________________________________________________________________________

The School Library System annually hosts one Librarian Network- General Membership meeting which is specifically aimed at resources sharing and reaching our students.   At this meeting we will:

· Review this year’s plans for:  Battle of the Books  ILL protocols, Courier & CDLC changes, introductions, resources available to schools:  Grolier’s, EBSCO’s Point of View, TeachingBooks, Brainpop for ELL, & other tools provided for schools via NOVEL.  Our upcoming Copyright in a Copy-Paste World grant and special day on November 29^th.  

· Librarians & the Common Core  - Research to Build and Present Knowledge:   We will walk through tools within the “Empire State Information Fluency Continuum” and discuss  Essential Questions which will help realign lessons to the Common Core. Please bring your IFC  book, if you have one.

· Digital Footprints— What’s the big deal?  How big is your’s and does it stink?  Learn why this is important for our students to “own” their image and how their online behavior defines their digital footprint.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  Learn about our resources, if you’d like to be a pilot
location.

· Technology & the Common Core—New tools to use with CCSS Connections -Polly Farrington  (Afternoon session)  Polly is always a pleasure.  Come and see what she recommends for CCSS integration. 

Bring your portable device… We will be tweeting with hashtag #SLS2012  we will have a "backchannel" going for questions and more! 

Bring your information fluency binder (if you have one…If you don’t, you will receive one.)

__________________________________________________________________________________

Looking ahead:  We are hoping to have Kathleen Baxter with us for a day in December.   This will be held jointly with SALS at our WSWHE location. Two sessions:   9-1  or 4-8
More information to follow! 

BEDS Data for WSWHE Libraries

It's that time of year, for our data reporting to NYSED.   The purpose of Basic Educational Data (BED) reporting is to aggregate information and compare schools, resources, funding, staffing, and compliance with NYS regulations.  The state expects you to report accurately and honestly.  If the forms ask you about 'flexible' scheduling and you don't have it, be honest.  When they ask about collaboration, report the truth.   When they ask your title counts, report your title count. Etc.  

The generic questions that ask about eBooks, should include the collections that BOCES provides through Overdrive as well as your own purchases.   Please see below the statistics related to NOVEL resources provided by NYS as well as  BOCES provided resources.  Add these counts to your own district counts.   

Database provided	NUMBER
Novel DATABASES	9 according to NYSED - DLD
BOCES databases -  provided secondary	2
BOCES databases – provided elementary	1
eBook Titles	Number
Overdrive elementary titles	407
Overdrive secondary  titles	1423
GALE  - secondary	93
GALE – elementary	97
Marshall Cavendish   eBook titles  – middle & sec.	41
ROSEN    eBook titles  - Elementary & Middle	3

On your Opals circulation system, you can find your BEDS data easily by going to your catalog and clicking on: Administration--> Reports --> Collection Holding Statistics --> Consolidate Library Collection Statistics Report.    Please note the different categories that are listed by item type, etc.  If you have cataloged your eBooks correctly, they should appear in the item type counts.  

Pedagogy Verbs & Exemplars

The SLS hopes to navigate some of the rough waters with you and is here to answer some questions.  The Common Core is a wonderful advocate to have on our side this year.   Let's review some of the basics Please wrap your brains around all the pedagogy verbs that are deeply woven into the Anchor Standards of the CCSS. 

• Integrate
• Evaluate 
• Comprehend
• Critique
• Analyze - think analytically
• Address a Question
• Solve a problem
• Conduct a short research projects
• Conduct sustained research projects
• Students generate questions
• Explore a topic
• Draw evidence from texts
• Support analysis
• Research and reflection
• Gather information from print and digital sources
• Assess the credibility and accuracy of sources 
• Integrate information avoiding plagiarism
• Produce and publish writing
• Interact and collaborate 
• Debate
• Write arguments to support claims
• Formulate an argument 
• Comprehend
• Prepare and participate effectively in conversations. 
• Build and express persuasively 
• Express information and enhance understanding 

As teachers are trying to figure out how to teach to the Common Core, I would encourage you to invite them to collaboratively plan a unit of deep research and investigation.

Please visit the NYSED Engage NY website that have "exemplars" listed:

(Secondary are to follow in November.): 

• P-2 ELA  http://engageny.org/resource/core-knowledge-language-arts-listening-and-learning-files/ 

• 3-5 ELA  http://engageny.org/resource/network-team-institute-materials-grades-3-5-ela-curriculum-august-13-17-2012/

• P-5 Math http://engageny.org/resource/network-team-institute-materials-grades-p-5-math-curriculum-august-13-17-2012/ 

Please note the literature books within these units and consider ordering the books you may not have.  Teachers are likely to come calling for them...to investigate.  

These marketing, instructional, and planning handouts are available for you: 

• Superhero Powerverbs of the Common Core - share these at a faculty meeting 
• Lesson Planning templates can be found at this link:  click here
• Common Core Alignment Checklist  
• Common Core Writing Standards 6-10  Postcard Invitation for teachers  - are available via the SLS - email with the quantity you need!  - Posters are printed and waiting for you also! 

• NYC Information Graphic Organizers aligned to the Info Fluency Continuum  

Non-Fiction Lists

Here is a list of Non-fiction links that might help you find resources in support of the CCSS shift to read non-fiction materials.  This list was recently archived by a few librarians from around the country.   

A book such as this Notorious Benedict Arnold, would be a good substitution for a weak biography unit that does nothing more than give students an opportunity to copy and paste.  This book (Lexile 990, AR 7.3), along with primary source documents and debates, could easily model a good CCSS aligned  7th grade lesson.   Students could draw evidence from the text, conclude, debate, persuade and discuss how to treat Benedict and his crazy wife.  This book is loooong for a 7th grader at 350+ pages. However, this helps us see how our lessons should move beyond entertaining and be repackaged as engaging educational efforts requiring students to think.   This is easier said than done.  
EQ: If you were George Washington, commanding your troops, what would you have done with Benedict Arnold and his wife? 

• http://www.greatcommoncorenonfiction.com/ (Kathleen Odean) 
• http://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/books/level/   
• http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/sibertmedal/
• http://www.ala.org/yalsa/nonfiction-award
• http://www.nsta.org/publications/ostb/ (National Science Teachers Assoc)
• http://www.socialstudies.org/resources/notable (National Council for SS) 
• http://www.childrens-books-and-reading.com/nonfiction-books.html
• http://nonfictionmonday.wordpress.com/
• http://inkrethink.blogspot.com/ 
• http://www.nonfictiondetectives.com/
• http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2012/07/27/mid-year-nonfiction-round-up/  
• Nonfiction Book Blast  
• Nonfiction Matters 

Welcome Back!

Dear Librarians! 

We trust you are all well-rested and have enjoyed a wonderful summer.   We have been busy at the SLS, but despite the fact we work all summer, we still feel a bit behind-the-eight ball, for the start of school.  This year, with alphabet soup (APPR, SLO, DDI, RttT, RTI,...) everyone seems to be overwhelmed with the amount of "preparation" that has to take place for September.  Welcome on the roller coaster ride of 2012-2013.  We hope you enjoy the journey! 

The SLS hopes to navigate some of the rough waters with you and is here to answer some questions. Here are some basic thoughts:

• State Ed has recently released a video regarding librarian SLO's.  The link to this has been added to our SLS Website:  click here   SLO's are under definition, and the latest ruling indicates that "librarians without a roster, are not subject to SLO's or APPR.  The SLO page discusses the details on this issue.  Please read.
• The SLS has been part of the regional assessment development  (RAD) team, creating pre and post assessments for those librarians needing to write SLO's.  Hat's off to the 24 librarians who joined us this August to learn about assessment and write sample questions for the libraries.  These Reagional Assessments will be available to our WSWHE BOCES districts at now charge.   See the SLO page for additional details.  click here

• Usernames and passwords have been sent to email addresses and we trust all your links are working.   email  databaseinfo@wswheboces.org   if you need assistance, or call.  We are here to help you.  

• The General Membership meeting is currently scheduled for October 4th.  We will be talking about:  the librarian's role in meeting Common Core objectives,  Infographics and their role in packaging a data as a knowledge product, non-fiction resources for CCSS, and our newly published "booklet" on Synthesis and Questioning.  Bring a great non-fiction book to share.  

• We will be hosting a "special" speaker on Copyright and Digital Ethics on November 29th.   We are negotiating now with a national voice.  Please mark your calendars and plan on joining us.  Invitations will be sent to librarians and Technology team leaders to join us for this day of discussion.  All attendees will receive Carrie Russel's new book on Complete Copyright for Educators, published by the ALA.    This was funded through a small grant and will include a new Plagiarism and Piracy website for teachers and students.  Stay tuned for more information. This topic aligns with CC ELA Standard number 8, and we are hoping this is a "different" CCSS discussion than many educators are hearing.
• Professional Journals will begin circulating next week.  Please do your best not to create a "log jam" and read and move them to the next person on the list in a reasonable period of time. 

• Secondary libraries now have EBSCO's 
  Point of View  funded by the SLS, for CCSS support.    More information will follow.   Please watch the training guide below and use the icon picture for your webpages, that you may maintain for student/teacher access.  Tutorial for Point of View: http://support.ebsco.com/training/flash_videos/POV/pov.html                                                                               On this page, you can find other “tutorials” that you can share with your teachers for other products that you might have ordered: http://support.ebsco.com/training/tutorials.php
• NOVEL has not announced which encyclopedia resource they are funding for NYS use.  We are waiting anxiously, not wanting to waste your money purchasing something that will be funded by NOVEL.  Therefore, please be patient another week, as they told us it would be announced...last Friday.  Here is an annoucement they made: 

The NOVELny instance of Gale's Business and Company Resource Center will be switched over to Business Insights: Essentials at 9 am on Friday, August 31.  The URL will remain the same.  For more information about Business Insights: Essentials please see http://www.cengagesites.com/Literature/782/gale-business-insights-global-essentials/.

 webinars will take place on the dates below.  See the corresponding URLs to register. 

September 6, 10:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. <http://s2138.t.en25.com/e/er?s=2138&lid=9675&elq=f4630ad9a09949a596e3edd583efc6b4> (ET)

September 10, 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. <http://s2138.t.en25.com/e/er?s=2138&lid=9676&elq=f4630ad9a09949a596e3edd583efc6b4> (ET)

September 18, 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. <http://s2138.t.en25.com/e/er?s=2138&lid=9677&elq=f4630ad9a09949a596e3edd583efc6b4> (ET)

September 27, 12:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. <http://s2138.t.en25.com/e/er?s=2138&lid=9678&elq=f4630ad9a09949a596e3edd583efc6b4> (ET)

October 2, 10:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. <http://s2138.t.en25.com/e/er?s=2138&lid=9679&elq=f4630ad9a09949a596e3edd583efc6b4> (ET)

If you have questions about the database please contact Gale at http://access.gale.com/noveltech/ (to submit questions online) or gale.technicalsupport@cengage.com or 1-800-877-4253 (press 4).