Assessing the Impact of a Responsive School Library Program

I am at that point in the school year when we are called upon to reflect on our professional and student learning goals and examine the impact this goal work has had on teaching and learning.

Both my professional and student goal connected to the Responsive School work going on in my library as well as our school. My goalmates (yes, I made that one up) and I designed a survey instrument at the end of last year. The fifth graders took this short survey the third week of school and just took it again this past week. Only one student raised the question, "Didn't we answer these questions before?" I am not sure how many students made a connection to the survey of eight months ago and I am not sure what impact it would have on their answers. Something for me to consider moving forward. 

The answers to the surveys on their own tell one story, the answers compared tell another.

Fifth grade students feel less excited but generally happier about school. More students express feeling unsure and unhappy about school than in the fall. The first few weeks of school are full of promise for most students, so this is not surprising. These students have also just finished up standardized testing and are also starting to make that transition to moving onto middle school. Both events impact how they feel about school in general.

While this bigger school perspective was taking place, the students responses show that they feel the library is a welcoming and safe space, with a general shift toward this view across the spectrum. The percent of students strongly agreeing with this statement grew from 41% to 46%.  It feels good to know that this space took on greater meaning to students as the year went on.

Another significant shift in perspective occurred in how the students see the value or use of the library outside their class time. There was a jump from 67% to 80% in the number of students who see the library as a place they like to visit outside of the scheduled class time. This makes my heart happy.

The students and I have worked hard on establishing and following routines in the library and its important for me to see that this area has fallen off and that fewer students are feeling that the routines are clear. This tells me that I have not done as good a job with these older students, such as referring back to our school rules and routines when working with them. Something good for me to hold onto next year.

The one open response question asked students to share and explain a routine in the library. The students responses demonstrated their understanding of routines for entering and leaving the library as well as browsing and borrowing. A few other responses were quite cool. They are below.

Fall 2016
"Coming in the room and sitting on the rug should look like finding a good rug spot, it should sound like a level 1 volume, it should like you know what you are doing."
"Library routines should sound quiet feel happy and it should look peaceful"
"If you take a book and you find another one put the book that you took first back to where you found it."
"When I walk in the library door I just think of finding a good learning spot on the rug"
"Browsing and borrowing should be relatively quiet, and when you're in line, wait your turn :)"
"Meeting time looks like everyone is on the rug. It should feel exciting and welcoming."
"If you feel like you need a break then you can quietly go to the take a break chair and sit and regroup until you are ready to join the rest of the class."

"While browsing, you should be careful when putting a book back in the shelf."

"it should sound like listening to each other"
"One library routine is browsing and borrowing that should be at a noise level 1-2."
"browsing and borrowing should sound like everyone either whispering or using quiet voices and should feel relaxing."
"single file line along the non fiction book section at the end of class while you are waiting for your teacher to come get your class, you should be standing on a red star and the noise volume should be at a 1 or a 2 if needed"
"Entering the Library Safely and Quietly"
"Be respectful of all books and materials in the library"
"When you browse and borrow you should treat the books with respect."


Spring 2017
"when we exit we line up on the star spots while the timer runs"
"every one should be sitting in the dot spot"
"When you walk into the class you should quietly and calmly go to the rug and find a good spot where you can focus."
"browsing and borrowing should be fun, quite, and it should look like people are picking out books that they like."
"When you walk into the room, you immediately find a dot spot."
"In meeting time we always read the schedule and listen to the person who reads it."
"Coming in is quiet and quick"
"When you enter or exit, you are expected to enter/exit quietly. Voice level 1/0."
"browsing: quietly look for books, put books back spine side out.'
"You walk into the library silently and sit down on the rug in a good learning seat :)"
"Browsing-Quietly looking through what you want, putting a book back where you found it if you don't want it."
Browsing/borrowing ~ Quiet, with or without friends
"when leaving music play's which means you have two minutes line up on a star spot"
"when leaving music play's which means you have two minutes line up on a star spot you clean up and line up"
"When you leave the library, the teacher will give us a signal(such as turning off the lights) for us to quietly exit the library with our books. I saw people standing straight in line and silently heading out the library door."
"Don't talk if someone is speaking."
"Respecting that people like different books, so don't make fun of someone for liking a certain genre"

Answers to the survey by time period

Much information for me to work with here!

Reclaiming the library shelves

I spent about an hour trying to reclaim the library today. 

Circulating over 6,000 books from a collection of 11,000 and a student population of 468 results in messy shelves that look unappealing for browsing. 

When I had finished tidying, organizing, and straightening, I was feeling like we were starting to look pretty good again, so I took a few pictures, which led to creating an Animoto movie. I will definitely improve upon this movie tour of the library. I think there's relevance even this late in the year because we are always getting new students, and really, can't everyone use a refresher?

Happy Thursday!

With these flaws in mind, there is still interesting data here...

Wrapping up Picture Book Month has been a longer and more difficult process than I anticipated, each time I look at statistics I see an additional step I should take or connected reflection that I should go back to the students with. Case in point: all month long, the students in grade three through five were marking their progress toward their writing challenge goal, as in the form above. There were several flaws in my approach, which, if I do this next year I will change. 

Flaw number one: I didn't leave enough time during library visits to allow for this. 

Flaw number two: the form itself caused confusion for students - were the numbers meant to be cumulative or not? 

Flaw number three: the location of the sheets was not conducive to remembering to fill out the form.  

With these flaws in mind, there is still interesting data here and I am sorely tempted to go back to the students one more time and ask why they think the data from class-to-class and participation varied as much as it did. I have a few theories, but they are just theories or suppositions without their voices.

Theory number one: The students were more engaged and read more when there was broader class engagement and participation.

Theory number two: The decision to keep this a physical form (as opposed to a virtual one where the students would not see each other's challenge numbers and progress) was a good one.

There are conclusions that I can state from the data.

Conclusion number one: A majority of students reached or read beyond their challenge.

Conclusion number two: Location of the form on the door had no relation to participation - the form in the lowest position that required the students to kneel down was one of the best participating classes.

Conclusion number three: The data is not clear enough to draw any other conclusions - there are too many independent variables. (*humor from a former analyst*).

Take a look at the forms below and tell me what you see and what you conclude. I have removed students' names and the homerooms on purpose as my intent is not to celebrate or demonize any particular class. 

I did run more circulation statistics and below the forms, you will see classroom and individual data. It follows that the classrooms with the highest circulation statistics had the students with the highest circulation statistics, but since I know which classrooms match the numbers above, I can also tell you that many students were reading from home and classroom libraries as well and therefore these statistics do not represent the whole picture.

And... enough...it is Saturday...thank you for taking the time to read this and comment!

November has been a busy and exciting month.

 

I was putting together a monthly "highlights" document for our library coordinator and realized a that November has been a fun and busy month. My students and I experienced and accomplished quite a bit! There were three volunteer projects outside of school this month that also added to the busy fun, which leads me to confess that I have not done any reading outside of school in the past thirty days. I plan to remedy this situation and take advantage of this long weekend - I am going to put together a bookstack, make a cup of tea, find a blanket and space on the couch -- and read!

Here are the highlights that I gathered, which are all blogposts from this month, so nothing new to those that follow the blog.

It was Picture Book Month, therefore many of the lessons and units connected to this theme.

Kindergarten:

The kindergarten students were engaged in an author/illustrator study of Denise Fleming. this study involved reading books and watching footage of Denise Fleming creating her art. The study also led us to recognizing those wondering questions that arise while reading and learning about our “wonder wall” (nonfiction neighborhood).

Denise Fleming gets my students wondering

Grade One:

The first grade students took on a nonfiction picture book month challenge, which connected to both my library curriculum and the classroom curriculum. We used a Steve Jenkins author/illustrator exploration to aid in this unit. The students are learning to consume (and later produce) information from multiple sources.

First grade information gatherers

Grade Two:

The second graders took on a nonfiction picture book month challenge, which connected to both the library and classroom curriculum where the students are learning about nonfiction conventions and distinguishing between nonfiction books that are good for research and those that are better for general reading. The students are shared cool facts that they were learning.

Reading nonfiction is good for their brains and mine.

Grade Three:

The third graders have been busy reading toward their picture book month challenges and reconnecting with their library pals in Minnesota.

Always, always learning and would not change a thing

Grade Four

After the philae lander hit the comet, the fourth grade students and I shared a lesson on passion-driven information gathering, which tied in nicely to a review of how to access library resources - at home and at school.

Sharing passion-driven exploration

Grade Five

The students continued to learn about our library during picture book month. They created Animoto videos to share their knowledge with the younger students.

Exploring new ways to teach location and access

Grade Four and Five:

Fourth and fifth graders used technology tools to communicate their thoughts and ideas. They practiced good digital citizenship.

The students take to padlet as a tool for communication

Once you know how to use a tool…

Assessment and Reflection:

“It has meant my family has read more together”

The circulation statistics say it all

What does a school library in the midst of PBM look like?

Project-Based Learning

the fifth grade teachers and i planned and executed a project-based learning experience related to our community’s behavior expectations.

Behavior expectations as explained by fifth graders

Sometimes the Raising of Hands is Assessment Enough

I begin every lesson with a reflection on the previous week's lesson. It helps show the thread that connects one lesson to another, while also activating prior knowledge for the students. 

Last week, the reflection was on the visits from the the public librarians. You can read about the visits on this blog post: Sometimes a Change is All You Need.

As I had stated, my goal for these visits were:

1. Creating a connection to a person in the children's room at the public library;

2. Learning about the programs at the public library;

3. learning how to get a library card.

This week, as part of the reflection, I asked the students to give me a show of hands for each question.  In a not very scientific way, I can tell you that:

1. A majority of students in each class had gone to the library after the visits;

2. Many of those had sought out the person who visited their class;

3. A few signed up for a program;

4. About a third had gotten a library card.

This show of hands (combined with the proud look on their faces) was assessment enough for me. These visits were a success! I'll be bringing the public librarians back again next fall.

"I learned about how the internet can affect you and how it helps and doesn't help people."

"I learned how to work in a group"

After learning about Internet Safety, this fifth grade class planned and created an Animoto video (setting scenes, taking pictures, typing in the text, choosing themes, choosing music, and editing) and presented their Internet Safety videos. As I said with the poster project, I always learn much during the process, but the students' reflections after the project has finished give me insight and concrete data that helps inform future projects. We are all learners!

You can read about the project and see the posters on this blog post: Stay Safe Online By Watching These Videos.

If someone were to ask you what you learned from this project, what would you say?

I learned about Internet safety
I learned how to work in a group
I learned that you should be safe on computers
I learned that you should be safe on computers
I learned how to work in a group
I learned how to draw on Google Docs
I learned about how the Internet can affect you and how it helps and doesn't help people.
I do not know what I learned.
I learned about how to treat computers
I learned all about the AUP
I learned how to be safe on the Internet

What was your favorite part?

Coming up with the music
Taking pictures
Picking themes and music
Drawing the frowning face in Google Docs.
When we made the video and danced to the music and how the music worked with the video
Choosing the music
making it with others and making something that we all liked
Watching them after we made them
getting the pictures and working together also watching how it turned out!

After watching the video, what would you change?

"I liked decorating the poster and helping the little kids learn about how to be safe on line."

"I learned about teamwork."

After designing, creating, and presenting their Internet Safety Posters, the fifth grade students reflected on their experience. I always learn a lot during the process, but the students' reflections give me insight and concrete data that helps inform future projects. We are all learners!

You can read about the project and see the posters on this blog post: If you follow these rules, you will be happy and safe.

If someone were to ask you what you learned, what would you tell them?

Internet safety

nothing

to listen to your group members, and their ideas

teamwork is important

I learned about teamwork

I learned how hard it is for everyone to have a part.

not a lot

teamwork

group work and Internet safety

"team work"

don't go onto any ads

teamwork

I would say it helped me learn about people getting bullied online and how to help people stop it and that i know i will never bully online or in real life.

I learned group work and that it's a lot easier to have everyone contribute (I did all the work in my group and it took a lot of effort. 

I really felt like my teammates were not sharing their ideas as much as they could have. 

don't know

I learned that lots of people get bullied online every day so I will never bully online 

I learned about Internet safety

how to present

Which part of the project was your favorite?

I love that their are many active verbs in their responses - designing, making, decorating, and presenting. I hope to see even more of this in future reflections!

Here are their actual responses:

drawing

making the poster

designing the poster

designing the poster

coloring the poster

making the poster

contributing ideas

presenting

designing poster and decorating pictures

reading your part of the poster and letting my buddies learn 

nothing 

teamwork

I liked decorating the poster and helping the little kids learn about      how to be safe on line.

designing the poster and coming up with ideas for my group.

none

working on the poster

making the poster

presenting

It's good stuff, right? Onward and upward!