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

The circulation statistics say it all...Picture Book Month matters

 Picture Book Month 

has been a success.

Picture Book Month was a success on many levels. Many of the ways can't be easily measured and assessed, but that is okay, because the circulation statistics say it all.

I decided to run the circulation statistics this evening. There are still five more days left in Picture Book Month, but we break for Thanksgiving tomorrow at noon, so there won't be too much of a difference between now and then.

Really, just check out these numbers:

Circulation statistics for October 31 - November 26, 2014:

Nonfiction

Biography

Picture Books

All titles

Compare these to last year's circulation statistics for October 31 - November 26, 2013:

Nonfiction 

Biographies

Picture Books

All titles

Compare these to last month's circulation statistics, October 1 - October 30, 2014:

Nonfiction 

Biography

Picture Books

All titles

My students have been reading up a storm. The circulation statistics a year ago and a month ago are virtually the same. This tells me that students are reading more this year in general, and that the picture book month challenge helped get students into the stacks and borrowing books.  I hope this trend continues!

Always, Always Learning...and wouldn't change a thing

I strive to develop curriculum-based lesson plans, solid planning templates for the students, appropriate exemplars for the project, and a management plan for the technology.  

I strive to do this, but inevitably there is one area (if not all of them!) that does not quite go as planned and envisioned, or that I haven't quite thought through. On these occasions, I get frustrated with myself, but even more so, I feel badly that I have created a frustrating situation for the students.  I try to tell myself that I am modeling flexibility and creative thinking.  *when at first you don't succeed*

Today was just such a day. The third graders are reconnecting with their Library Pals in Minnesota. Over the previous two years, these students have been connecting over such topics as: books; space shuttle research; and, their school communities.

My friend and colleague, Laura, and I wanted to give the students a way to connect more personally. We decided to try out the app, Aurasma.  This app allows students to overlay a video of themselves on an image that becomes a trigger image for that video. 

(I love their the trigger images)

The videos are housed on a private channel. The students will exchange their trigger images and then with the iPads in our respective libraries be able to learn about each other. Our hope is that these videos are the start of individual conversations that will continue through other technology tools.  

SO, where, oh where, was I learning? Why was this such a day? 

1. Planning Template

I created this planning template. I thought it would help the students: frame their thoughts; have a plan for what they were going to say; and, help them remember all this the following week, when recording would happen.

This week (recording week), I realized that I should have changed up the order of the items on the planning template. Here's the revised version of the planning template.

I also realized that the planning template should have a line for the number iPad on which the student filmed and created the Aura, which brings me to....

2. Managing the work of 75 students on 5 iPads.

I should have preassigned students to specific iPads and had that number on the planning template as well. At the end of three back-to-back classes, there were iPads, papers, and books in many piles. I had to sort and organize all that work and those books, which bring me to....

3. The Books

As it is Picture Book Month, the students were also sharing picture books that they have enjoyed reading. There was too much stress today to find the books that they wanted to share. Next time, I will have the students put aside books in advance of this. Picture book month circulation statistics have been off the charts and our shelves are pretty bare. The students also put undue pressure on themselves to find their "favorite" book. I tried to emphasize that it can be a book they have enjoyed, not necessarily their favorite.

BUT wait!

It's not all bad news! I listened to about sixty of the students' Aura's this afternoon and they did a fine job of introducing themselves, sharing something personal, and promoting a picture book. This project allowed the students to practice:

*framing their thoughts;

*expressing themselves;

*speaking into a camera;

*filming someone speaking;

*sharing limited resources;

*cooperating with each other.

One wouldn't have known that this day was not as planned or envisioned. The students were engaged and productive. it was mostly the behind-the-scenes aspects that I will change in the future. I like being an always, always learning type of teacher. I am happy with where we ended, I just hope to make the journey there smoother next time! 

The students take to Padlet as a tool for communication

 Picture Book Month 

continues to be a real celebration.

The students are learning how to use different tools to express their opinions. They are practicing framing their thoughts and producing a message, which shows that they understand good digital citizenship and what it means to participate in and contribute to an online conversation.

Picture Book Month seemed like a fitting opportunity to revisit and practice using Padlet. There was a slight misunderstanding regarding which Padlet Wall to use, so most students contributed to the wall for "picture books" as opposed to choosing the wall that related to their Picture Book Month challenge. In the end, the students were excited to contribute their thoughts and ideas, which is what this is all about.

Have your students been reading Picture Books this month?  Have them add to this wall.

If your students are reading biographies, 

they can add to this wall:

If story picture books are their gig, 

then this is the wall for them: