I've been really bad about sharing my thoughts on the books I have read this year.  Since this book collection is new to me, I wanted to focus on reading as many chapter books as possible, so that I would have a lot of titles I could recommend to students, teachers and parents.  The first book I read this school year was...
I was skeptical and expected something a long the lines of a third grade Captain Underpants type story with the type of potty humor that makes parents question my sanity as a librarian.  I was completely surprised, and I'll be recommending this series to students, teachers as fun read alouds, and parents as a great series to get their kids hooked on reading.  This book is clever and witty.  Two brothers, full of spunk and adventure, make a plan to rescue a damsel in distress, trick their mother (who is also their school principal) and become mad scientists.    They play tons of  inventive games, and provide directions to recreate the games at home.  It is nice to see a series about two siblings that like one another and enjoy each other's company.

Early Elementary Research & Note Taking

I was thinking about the First Grade Common Core strand ELA Research to Build and Present Knowledge, which states students will:

• W.1.7. Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of “how-to” books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions).
• W.1.8. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

I've been trying to figure out why they would state it as “gather information from provided sources to answer a question.” As one teacher commented to me recently, "My kids can do so much more than answer one question!"

 I think maybe it goes back to this whole idea that with the Common Core we are supposed to “go deep”--what does that look like with this standard?  I think that by limiting the number of questions students are supposed to answer allows students to focus on other equally important things like extracting the appropriate information from the text, taking good notes, connecting what they learn to what they already know, organizing their information into creating a good product, thinking about spelling and handwriting, and avoiding anything that looks like plagiarism, time to reflect on the process, etc.  

I also keep pondering the subtle details nestled within the vertical alignment of this strand--sources are provided during research for grades K-2, students aren't asked to cite sources at all until 3rd grade when they are asked to "take brief notes on sources"

So, much to rethink.  Take a look at this Research to Build and Present Knowledge strand K-12 vertical alignment thingy.

Common Core Research Vertical Alignment from Georgia's Regional Education Service Agency

Here is the form I am hoping to use for small group research with our first grade classes.

Public Library/School Library Partnerships

The new NC School Library Media Coordinator's Evaluation Instrument is full of standards that address the need for external partnerships, partnering with other libraries and community organizations.  I've always known this was important, but I've always struggled with how to make this an authentic partnership (more than just calling them to let them know a class is researching a topic and to let them know families might come in looking for books on a specific topic).  It always seemed like there was more we could do to support each other's goals.  I've noticed in the morning there are lots of parents dropping off their children, who have younger kids as well.  So, we are partnering with Jesse, our Buncombe Co. Library Preschool Outreach Coordinator, to provide a monthly story time for Dickson families who have preschool aged children , toddlers or infants.  Today was our first event, with seven adults and ten children attending.  Our next event will be held on Friday, December 7th at 8:15 am. 

Public Library/School Library Partnership

I wanted to try something new, and I've been thinking about building partnerships with other organizations in our community.  There has always been that desire to have a stronger partnership with our public library, but I have always struggled with how to create a meaningful partnership (something more than just calling them to let the staff know we might have kids for books about a particular topic due to a research project happening at school.  I've noticed that there are a lot of parents at our school with toddlers and preschool age students dropping their school age children.  I wanted to explore what might happen if our school hosted a public library story time event.  Jesse, the Preschool Outreach Coordinator at Pack, was game to try it.  One thing she mentioned that caught my attention, was to include tips for parents of literacy type activities that an older sibling could do with a younger sibling.  I love that idea because as a mom, I am constantly thinking about what I can do to build positive sibling relationships. Our goal is to hold this type of event once a month...nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?  I think it will be a big hit!

Bulletin Board Fun

In the past I have approached bulletin boards with the same attitude as I have when looking at a broken laminator.  At Dickson, the library is centrally located, and a lot of students, teachers, and parents walk down the hall each day.  So, I am taking a new approach to bulletin boards (with a personal goal of updating it at least once a month).  I'm so in love with our new bulletin board.  I am even more in love with the awesome Frankenstein border I found on Ebay.  Now if I could only learn to love a broken laminator....

Digital Citizenship

We receive this special type of funding called e-rate funding, and attached to that funding is the expectation that you cover specific lessons on digital citizenship with each class.  I like the way the lessons build upon each other from one year to the next.  For example, eventually in the upper elementary school grades when students are using email and blogging, there is a specific lesson on cyber-bullying, but what it translate into at the kindergarten and first grade level are simple lessons about strategies to use if you are being bullied.  Enter one of my favorite books, The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill.  Mean Jean is the playground bully ("she's pushed kids and smooshed kids, / hammered 'em, slammered 'em, / kitz and kajammer 'em").  No one has ever stood up to Mean Jean before until a new kid, Katie Sue,  arrives at school.  What  I like about this book is that addresses many of the strategies kids need to use when dealing with a bully.  Katie Sue uses her strong voice, she walks away, and then finally she invites Mean Jean to play with her, and that is what does the trick.  Presto change-o a new friendship is born.  Yeah, I know, it wasn't that easy for me either when I had to share a bus seat with a bully on 20 mile bus ride every day from my elementary school to my house, but this book is still a great teaching tool.  At the end we always have a conversation that while Katie Sue and Jean solve this problem without adult intervention, it is never a good idea to keep bullying a secret, and that you should always tell an adult.  Here's one of my favorite samples of student work from the week. "I use my strong voice."

1st grade research

DISCLAIMER: This post was written while eating lunch, finding a DVD for a teacher, helping students at the check out station and answering the phone.  Sound familiar?

Today I was working with a small group of four first graders to research the paper wasp.  A parent found a paper wasp nest, and the teacher wanted a small group of students to research and create a poster to share with the class.
I'm experimenting with different ways to have students view, read and record information to share.  I wanted a note taking sheet that would allow students to illustrate as well as write as a way to record the information they think is important.  Students started gathering their information by looking at a picture of a paper wasp and recording observations about its body parts, colors, etc. I think using a picture can make research much more accessible for emerging readers.  I also rewrote a simple paper wasp article from Encyclopedia Britannica Online to make it more understandable to first graders.  The picture worked well, although it didn't show up well on my Promethean board.  The kids couldn't see the actual colors of the wasp's legs, wings, etc.  I think this sheet worked well.  In my perfect world the student's sentences would support the illustration, but that can be another mini-lesson for another time.

Online Election Resources for Students

Copyright free image from US Gov Images

The new Common Core Standards emphasizes critical thinking skills as important for all students.  A basic premise of the standards is that critical thinking skills are crucial to learning and growth.  It states, "To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in a technological society, students need the ability to gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and report on information and ideas, to conduct original research in order to answer questions or solve problems, and to analyze and create a high volume and extensive range of print and nonprint texts in media forms old and new."
How does this relate to the election, you ask?  Apparently the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press reported in June that Americans are more polarized along partisan lines right now than at any point in the past 25 years.  They are going to be seeing a lot of campaign adds on television, and it is our job to discern help them form their own opinions of what they are seeing and hearing.  Here are some great sites to use with younger students as you examine the election and election process.

Ben's Guide to Government for Kids
This site offers general information about voting and government, but doesn't specifically address the 2012 election.  I do like the way it allows you to search for K-2 resources or 3-5 resources.

November 6 is Election Day (lesson plan)
A Read/Write/Think site from the International Reading Association.  Includes a nice service learning activity for students as well as links to other great online resources.

Classroom magazines websites like Time For Kids and Weekly Reader feature campaign information prior to the election. Time for Kids   weeklyreader.com (search election, voting, etc.)

Newseum Digital Classroom Decision 2012
Includes resources for upper elementary through high school.  Sponsored by the Newseum's Education Department.

The Living Room Candidate
Contains more than 300 commercials from every presidential election since 1952.

Kids Voting Buncombe County
Local nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to involving youth in the election process.

This book is so...

This bulletin board presents a super big problem.  Can you figure out what it is?  Our students love to read, but if this bulletin board is any indication of what they are reading, then it isn't non-fiction that they love.  So, why is that a problem?  Supposedly, over 85% of what we read as adults in non-fiction, which means our kids need to be reading more non-fiction/information texts.
I love to read. I love to read fiction.  Before I had kids, I would spend hours lost in the pages of a book.  I would spend hours lost in the pages of my favorite novels, visiting places and spaces I would have never known otherwise, but my  life does not depend on how well I understand fiction. It depends on how well I can decode, analyze,synthesize,  evaluate, and use information.  Think about it...when you need to understand the world around  you, what do you consult? What are you reading right now? 
What can I do in my job to make this bulletin board more balanced?  What can I do to encourage students at Dickson to read more non-fiction/information texts/  I have some ideas, stay tuned....