Exploring Documents and Manuscripts & DBQs

Many of my young students come to school with a lot of baggage: some are transients, living in shelters, some have parents in prison, some are living with grandparents, and some come from homes that are just struggling to keep their heads above water. All of this has been exacerbated, of course, by the downward spiral of our economy.

In contrast, I also have students whose parents are successful professionals or artists. These students have many more opportunities outside of school for intellectual and creative pursuits. These students, for the most part, come from stable homes, with doting, supportive families.

This dichotomy presents all of us in my building with unique challenges. How can we prepare all of our students to be life- long readers and learners? How can we instill in them the love of learning- even if it isn't reinforced at home? How can we help students develop the confidence they need to ask questions?

One of the ways we can do this is find a way to integrate primary source materials into the curriculum. Why should students read textbooks that describe people, places and events? They should read these documents and draw their own conclusions. They should study the images and speeches to acquire a deeper understanding of their world.

Document Based Questions have become a major focus in schools today. These questions challenge students to organize, synthesize and analyze information. DBQs force students to think. In a way, students are behaving like detectives or historians as they ask questions that lead to more questions.

Some sample questions:
Maps- What kind of map? What was it used for? Who created it? When was it created? List 3 features that you think are important.
Photographs- What is the date of this photo? Who created it? What objects are shown? Is this picture posed or candid- How do you know? What are the people doing? How are they dressed? What questions does this photo raise?
Sound Recordings- Whose voice(s) do you hear? What kind of recording is this? A speech? An interview? a broadcast? Are there any unique qualities to this recording, such as background noise? Was there an audience present?
Documents- What is the title? Who is the author? What type of document? When was it published/created? Why was it written- what is its purpose? Who is the intended audience? Is this document typical or representative of this time in American history?

These questions are specific. More general questions that are being addressed by DBQs are: What do you see? What do you think? What questions have been answered? What questions remain unanswered and, therefore, require additional research?

My Field Trips Through American Memory

It is clear that when we talk about Information Literacy, we are focusing on providing our students with a framework for active engagement in learning. Cross- curricular activities that engage students by challenging them to use their background knowledge to arrive at new understandings, while learning new skills, is the goal for the 21st century school.

This summer, as I've been exploring the Library of Congress's American Memory, I've been thinking about my students. How can I use primary resources to help my students connect with history, with math, with science, with literature?

Eye Spy Math is a visual learning activity based on many recognizable historic photos of places in Washington D.C. and in other cities. This activity can be used to reinforce mathematical and geometrical terms through artistic expression. The geometric shapes and the location of these shapes could be translated into literary terms.

The photo and print collection is breathtakingly deep and diverse. The pictures of musical heroes, like Leonard Bernstein and sports heroes, like Jackie Robinson bring socio-cultural history to life.

The sound recordings are an amazing artifact to study. How people spoke, how they sang, what they spoke and sang about, how sound recordings were used then and now are all topics worthy of study.

The map collection is irresistable. Being able to zoom in and around allows the researcher to learn about the climate, the commerce, the population and the transportation.

The motion pictures are fun and it is fascinating to see the progression of the technology through the years, from the early silent films and animated.

There are repositories of primary sources all over the world. American Memory is our most ambitious attempt to preserve our history for future generations.

Primary Resources: Focus on Collaboration

I'm adding 3 new items to my list of what I've learned by exploring American Memory and reading the comments shared by my colleagues ...

7. Primary resources provide students with an opportunity to connect on an emotional level.
8. Primary resources make history come alive.
9. Primary resources can be used to initiate collaboration

Some thoughts on item #9: I believe that the library media specialist should be a leader in efforts to collaborate. In a perfect world, the culture of the school should support collaboration, but if that's not the case, then it is important to connect with a teacher who is ready, willing and able to collaborate with you. Then, the classroom teacher and the librarian can demonstrate the power of collaborative practice to the rest of the faculty. Also, don't be dissuaded by the lack of enthusiasm at first. Be persistent and have patience!

American Memory: Philly- Style

I've been using primary sources for a long time now. In my early years of teaching, my best source for primary resources were our field trips to colonial Philadelphia, best represented by the Betsy Ross House and Independence Hall. History really came alive for our students as they examined original documents, diaries and artifacts dating back to the birth of our nation.

Now, thanks to the Library of Congress, we have American Memory. American Memory provides free and open access through the internet to prints, maps, sheet music, written and spoken words, audio files and films.

As a school library media specialist, I have been aware of American Memory and have used it occasionally for several years. I've been given the opportunity to explore the site in much greater detail while taking the UWStout course, "Teaching Information Literacy with Primary Sources."

As I reflect, here, on what I've learned to date, one thought occurs to me: every document, every artifact, was created by someone that might have had a bias. Using a source like American Memory shouldn't be just about showing and telling, it should also be about evaluating the resources in context and with a historical perspective ... Critical thinking!

Here's what I've learned about American Memory so far:
1. I can use these resources with ALL of my students- Kindergarten through Grade 5.
2. American Memory is not an encyclopedia- it is a work in progress and new collections are constantly being added.
3. Exploring American Memory may result in some unexpected rewards, so it is important to approach research with an open mind.
4. Exploring primary source material adds another dimension to the study of history- a personal journal may, for instance, provide the "back story" to a historical event.
5. Primary sources can be explored in conjunction with a contemporary event, such as the presidential election of 2008
6. Original artifacts, photos, journals, etc. help tell the story and provide the potential for a more accurate interpretation of historical events.

This is what I've learned so far. Remember, just like American Memory, this blog is a work in progress.

Eyewitness to History

As a history buff, nothing gets my research chops going like visiting a site where an historic event took place, like the field at Gettysburg. I've been meaning to explore how primary sources can be incorporated into the curriculum and the course I'm taking now has already showed me that there is a rich collection of primary source material out there for the discovering!

We began by defining primary sources. They are bits and pieces of history that can be in a variety of formats: documents, recordings, photos, diaries, letters, etc. These artifacts can be used to fill in the blanks and help students connect with a particular historical period or we can ask students to do the research to fill in the blanks. Either way, there is no doubt that history comes alive when we incorporate actual historical artifacts and we are providing students with an opportunity to develop their critical thinking skills- the essential component of information literacy.

We learned a lot from visiting the American Memory Learning Page "house." Listening to the audio tapes showed us how difficult dialects can be. The various items in each of the houses inspired lots of questions and we made judgments about what aspects of this exercise we might use with our students. The tour through the Library of Congress' primary sources actually caused me to reminisce and connect with many of the artifacts. Also from the site, there is a student activity that I found fascinating. It is called the "Mindwalk Activity." This exercise allows you to discover what the limitations of historical records can be. After mindwalking through all your activities over the last 24 hours, you are asked to reflect on what traces of your daily activities might remain and become artifacts for historians of the future.

The issue of equal access to technology was our next issue and we discovered that as more students are getting access to computers, either at school or at home, the problem of cheating and plagiarism has also increased. We also had a discussion about teachers using technology as an administrative tool, rather than a teaching too. We all have seen evidence of this.

Finally, I once stayed in a hotel room that I think could be classified as a primary resource. The Watergate break- in occurred the summer before I was to begin my junior year of college. About 3 months after the event, I visited some friends for a weekend in D.C. I stayed in a Howard Johnson Hotel across the street from the Watergate building. When my friend and I got up to our room, we discovered, much to our horror, that the ceiling had been ripped up, exposing pipes and lots of other nonsense. We called down to the front desk to complain. We were told that the room had been closed for many weeks because of the evidence it provided to the Watergate investigators. It had just been reopened several days earlier. It seems that we were staying in the room where the burglars had installed their bugging equipment. What do you think? Hotel room as primary resource?

Pew Again

Back In February, I wrote about a Pew study on libraries that revealed some interesting data on Gen Y and how much time they spent in libraries. This survey, conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that young adults aged 18 to 30 frequent public libraries more regularly than older people.

It's just come to my attention that the news Hour with Jim Lehrer highlighted this topic of library usage in the age of personal computers and the Internet, by featuring essayist Julia Keller of the Chicago Tribune, on March 13. Keller reflected on the road ahead for public libraries in the modern era. Go to: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/social_issues/jan-june08/libraries_03-13.html, for the complete transcript.

One remark by Keller that really stood out for me was: "No matter how zippy our computers, no matter how much data is available to us wherever we happen to be, there will always be a reason to go to the library."

Yeahhhh.

Am I Still Making A Difference?

I had lunch with an old friend today. After we caught each other up on our respective spouses and children and others, we spoke about our professions. Melissa is a graphic designer of textbooks. Her husband teaches Biology at Villanova. Our academic connection is just one of the many reasons we are friends. Melissa has always been a great sounding board for me and I've spoken with her many times about my duel professions: librarian and teacher.

I've talked about how hard I have to work be proactive in staying connected to classrooms and other special area teachers. The rigid schedule of classes that we specialists deal with, is not conducive to establishing collaborative practice.

I've talked about budget cuts. It's a challenge to remain visible and vital, but I have to, in order to fight for every dollar. In this age of budget slashing, I'm trying harder than ever to encourage my students and teachers to use subscription databases and spend more time in the library.

I've talked about how hard I've worked to stay relevant: video conferencing, blogging, and podcasts are becoming an increasingly important part of my program.

I've talked about the efforts I've made to offer staff development to acquaint them with the library's resources, in the hopes that they will want to collaborate with me to plan lessons that will enrich teaching and learning.

Am I still making a difference after all these years? No Child Left Behind can be an obstacle to achieving the goals I've set out for my students and for myself. Or it can be an opportunity to shine a light on the library as the information hub of my school. NCLB includes a section that states that libraries are important: "... to improve literacy skills and academic achievement of students by providing them with access to up-to-date school library materials; technologically advanced school library media centers; and professionally certified school library media specialists" (NCLB, 2001).

I'm not a numbers person. I'm math- phobic. Thank goodness when I need to come up with statistics I can use Titlewise (from Follett). I'm never asked to produce data but I produce it every year at budget time. I'm learning to overcome my fear of numbers and plunge into the world of Excel in order to generate the data that I will most certainly need in the coming months and years for grant applications and for administrators who may not understand that the media specialist is still making a difference.

To Read Or Not To Read: A Statistical Study

Too Read Or Not To Read is a statistical study published in November 2007 by the National Endowment of the Arts. It is a study of the reading trends of the American public. This national study was based on data collected from various government agency studies and academic surveys. The study is disturbing because the data makes it clear that even college graduates are reading less. And reading less means we're reading less well. The cultural implications of this trend are alarming. The data doesn't show cause and effect, but the statistics do show correlations, such as reading does result in higher academic and professional success.

It is clear from the statistics, that reading is transformative. "Reading correlates with almost every measurement of positive personal and social behavior surveyed."

One of the many disturbing trends noted in this report is that nearly half of all Americans ages 18 to 24 read no books for pleasure. Another is that reading among elementary students has increased measurably but this progress seems to halt completely when these students become teenagers.

The data contained in this report leads to the following conclusions:

• Americans are spending less time reading.

• Reading comprehension skills are eroding.

• These declines have serious civic, social, cultural, and economic implications.

This study is a must- read for all librarians. You can download the complete report at: http://www.nea.gov/news/news07/TRNR.html.

It is clear from the statistics, that reading changes lives. We librarians and teachers and parents must recognize this dangerous trend and develop plans to stop it.

Why Collaborate?

Collaboration is needed to enhance student learning. Integrating information literacy skills into the curriculum is the goal of collaborative teaching practices on the part of the media specialist and the classroom teacher.

I've decided to be more specific about why collaboration is important is important. I'm hoping that this list will help me persuade more teachers to collaborate.

I collaborate ...

1. To enrich and enhance student achievement
   
2. To integrate the library program with other curricula
3. To provide more productive student activities and learning experiences in the library
4. To make sure that library resources support student assignments
5. To enrich and enhance the curriculum
6. To promote the library program and resources
   

Taking Stock

I've been doing lots and lots of professional reading: Web 2.0 tools, media specialist as information literacy cheerleader and staff developer, collaboration, and other timely topics that concern our profession. The readings have helped me define and refine my role as an elementary media specialist.

For the past two months, I've been sharing a particular address in the blogosphere with other media specialists taking a professional development course on library advocacy and critical issues facing our profession. I've learned how diverse our school environments are- Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Kuwait. I've learned that our challenges are similar- and different. I've learned that we are all problem- solvers, willing to learn new skills in order to enhance teaching and learning.

People outside the world of libraries don't seem to understand the role the library media specialist can play as an educator. Unfortunately, these outsiders often include our principals and administrators- the very people who should be standing in our corners, cheering us on.

We work hard NOT to be invisible. We do this by providing staff development, participating in curriculum development and revision, becoming members of technology committees and collaborating with our colleagues in the classroom to enhance student achievement.

I was a teacher first- English, grades 7- 12 and then elementary classroom teacher. The readings and especially the lively discussions that I've participated in during these last 2 months have helped me understand the other hats I wear: as instructional partner, as information specialist and as staff developer.

As I reflect on what I've learned lately, I come back to this fact: as I strive to learn new skills, I have to integrate only those technology tools that best support learning, rather than adopt a technology because it is the latest thing.

An Early Morning Visitor

This is how my day started ...

It was my typical harried morning-- gulping coffee, turning on computers, checking in books, checking out books, gulping coffee, looking at my plan book, returning phone calls, making copies, helping a colleague use the scanner, gulping coffee ... Suddenly, I hear unfamiliar footsteps. Then, "This library always looks beautiful!" I look up from my computer screen.

"Well, hello, Dr. Kerr! Welcome to the library."

It's the boss of bosses, the chief of chiefs, the Big Cheese. It's the Superintendent. "You know, it's a really beautiful space. I don't have to do much ..."

"On the contrary. Your little touches make all the difference. I love your wall decorations and the beautiful books on display And the fish tank is great."

"Well, thanks!" Shes' walking out the door. We wished each other a good day.

I fixed a paper jam, gulped coffee, sharpened pencils, checked my email, double- checked today's schedule, time to get more coffee ...

A Good, Old- Fashioned Lesson

Since September, I've been at a loss to figure out how to reach my 3rd grade classes. (You know the kind of students I'm talking about- there must have been something in the water that year!) Frankly, I haven't known what/how to teach these kids since they were in kindergarten.

Today, we had a red letter day. The kids felt successful and they learned something. How did this happen? I selected several volumes of the World Book Encyclopedia and wrote the name of a woman on a 3X5 card that I tucked into the volume. I told the kids that ,working with a partner, they were going to look up and read about the woman whose name was written on the card inside their encyclopedia. Some of the kids struggled just to locate their woman, but we persevered, and they were anxious to share what they had learned. One thing that helped is that by this point in the school year, I know who the struggling readers are and I gave those students shorter encyclopedia articles. For instance, Tyrell and Charlie had Babe Didrikson Zaharias. The first line of the article states that "she is considered the greatest female athlete in sports history." They didn't have to read the whole article- the information they needed to share with the class was in the first sentence. (But they were happy to tell us that she was great at basketball, swimming, track and field, and golf.) Carly and Natalie had to read about Eleanor Roosevelt and, needless to say, there was a lot more text to read.

The point is, the entire class enjoyed this activity and asked if we could do it again.

Whewwww. That's me, breathing a sigh of relief and satisfaction because these rascals (did I mention this grade is very boy- heavy?) were engaged in active learning and their desire to continue down this path really is gratifying.

Upon further reflection, I realized something else: the hardest students to reach were engaged in a learning activity that did not involve technology of any sort. It was a good, old- fashioned let's-look-it-up-in-the-encyclopedia activity. Bulls-eye!

Inventory

Each elementary school in our district has the following equipment:

• 4 desktops in every classroom -- Well used, well- maintained
  
• 1 PC based computer lab -- Well used, not as well maintained
  
• Distance Learning mobile kiosk -- Little used
  
• 2 iMacs for digital video editing -- Little used (Most teachers don't know where they are!)
  
• 1 mobile laptop cart -- Little used (mostly used by me and the Gifted teacher)
  
• 8 desktop computers in library -- Well used, well- maintained
  
• Classroom projectors -- Getting more use, but .....
  
• Digital still and video cameras -- Well used, often returned missing accessories

I would LOVE to add an interactive whiteboard to that list. One of those would really facilitate active learning!

All computers in the district are networked and have a high-speed connection to the Internet. Educators and students have the opportunity to view educational videos over the Internet via video-on-demand services from the Delaware County Intermediate Unit.

Professional development that models integration of technology with curriculum would improve usage. I am planning on initiating professional development workshops utilizing the following technologies:

• Distance Learning Opportunities (virtual field trips)
  
• Blogs, Wikis (writing, journaling)
• Destiny (Using Web Path Express instead of Google)
• Online databases and PowerLibrary resources

I would love to partner with a teacher with whom I've worked, because a workshop that is presented collaboratively will be more meaningful and productive, I think.

Skype

I was reading the March edition of School Library Media Activities Monthly, and noted that there was an article about Skype, by Kristin Fontichiaro.

Last spring, one of my colleagues went abroad for several weeks, as part of her sabbatical. We talked about starting a wiki for daily communicating but then I remembered Skype.

Skype is free, web- powered software that uses the Internet to let users talk to other users. One of my techies told me that we could actually talk to each other- for free! He set me up with the software and we were off! Our computers had built- in web cams and we used headsets, so we were able to have an audio and video connection.

Basically, it allows you to communicate without typing. Our high school students who were on a foreign exchange program this past fall, used it as well.

I wonder if it's going to be used in schools as a distance learning tool. Fontichiaro thinks it should enrich the 21st century learning environment.

Walk - Through Rubric

I've been thinking about the Walk- Through that will take place near the end of the year. It's a time for all of us to smile big and show off.

I've created an imaginary rubric for this event. (Frankly, I have no idea what they're looking for and which students they will interview.)

These are the questions they should be asking:

• Can students and teachers use the library before and/or after school?
• Are the library's computers on and available for students during library hours?
• Can students find the information/books they need and can they ask for help?
• Are the library's materials current?
• Do the library's materials meet the diverse needs and reading levels of the students?
• Can students find resources appropriate to their needs (i.e., books, web sites, on-line databases)
• Are students actively engaged and focused in the library?
• Is the librarian available to assist individual students (when she's not teaching)?
• Is the library a welcoming and friendly environment?
• Does the librarian provide information regarding resources and events (brochure, web page, blog)?
• Does the library provide handouts to assist students engaged in research?
  

Primary Season 2008: A Teachable Moment

Media literacy is an important component of information literacy. The rapid progression towards negative campaign advertising on the part of the Clinton campaign, as well as the results of yesterday's voting led me to the decision to teach a series of mini lessons on media literacy.

Focusing on the bias inherent in all political campaign ads and the probability that we will be deluged with these ads for the next 6 weeks leading up to the PA primary, I shared this website from the Museum of the Moving Image:

http://livingroomcandidate.movingimage.us/index.php

We watched Johnson's 1964 ad with the little girl and the A- bomb as well as a terrific Bill Clinton ad from the 1992 campaign. The kids were horrified by the first ad and applauded the 2nd ad.

Now, that's a teachable moment.

Job Interview Questions and Answers

I've been asked by a principal in another elementary school to be on the committee that will be interviewing prospective librarians for that principal's building. He has asked me to put together a list of questions I would like to see each candidate address. I started jotting down some notes but suddenly I had an idea. I could remember interviews that I walked out of thinking: these people STILL don't know who I am or what my capabilities are. They asked lousy questions. So, I set about compiling a list of questions that would have allowed me to demonstrate my knowledge and proficiency. These are the things I want to know about the candidates- I've included the responses I would be looking for.

Here goes ...

1. How did you prepare for this interview? I checked out your school district's web site. I was interested to see teachers' web pages, the resources you provide for staff and parents and the library web pages of course.
   
2. Why did you become a media specialist? Because I love the following (in no particular order): kids, literature, getting kids excited about reading, technology and research.
   
3. Do you prefer working in an elementary, middle or high school? Each has its joys and challenges. I love working in high school libraries because I love the opportunity to work one-on-one with students doing research. Middle School students are developing the skills that will lead to independent research. It's exciting to see their growth. Elementary school is the place where I get to really satisfy my yearning to teach and the littles really are my best audiences when reading aloud and storytelling. They hunger to hear a great story and I'm pretty sure that many of them are living in frantic homes, with overworked parents who find it difficult to make the time to read with and to their children.
   
4. What professional organizations do you belong to? The Pennsylvania State Library Association, The American Library Association, The American Association of School Librarians, and the Keystone Reading Association. I am also on the Education Committee of the Arden Theatre, a small, non- profit theatre in Philadelphia. They produce many wonderful children's shows!
   
5. What are you reading now? I am reading The What is The What, by David Eggers. It is a powerful fictional story about the Lost Boys of the Sudan. I have also been sharing Brothers In Hope with my 4th and 5th graders. It is a picture book that depicts the horrors endured by these so- called Lost boys. The kids are deeply moved by their story.
   
6. Describe your ideal job. I would love to work in a school with a principal who is determined to prepare students to be life- long learners. This means recognizing that information literacy is a pivotal, school- wide goal. I would love to work with teachers who challenge me to help them create authentic learning experiences for their students. I would love to work with a parent community that wants to be partners with educators. I want to work in a place that rewards creativity and energy.
   
7. Describe your role in the learning environment. I am a leader and a team player in the fields of literacy and technology.
   
8. What is your greatest strength? I'm flexible and I challenge myself to learn new skills. Weakness? I'm impatient.
   
9. If we were to speak to a random group of your current students, how would they describe you? They would tell you that I do funny voices when I read. They would also tell you that I love it when they teach me something new.
   
10. If we were to speak to a random group of your current teaching colleagues, how would they describe you? They would talk about how excited I get when new books come in. They would tell you that I offer support with respect to technology in the classroom. I have guided many teachers through netTrekker and video streaming. I know that they appreciate how hard I work to acquire the books and other materials for the library that support curriculum and their classroom activities.
    
11. How important is technology and how would you integrate it? Technology is a very important part of being a 21st century learner. It opens up our world. It enables us to acquire information that is current and it enables us to acquire a world view. There are many ways that technology can open up a child's world, but so can reading books. There needs to be both. There needs to be balance.
    
12. Tell us about a collaborative project you worked on and what your contribution was. I am currently involved with the 5th grade teachers in establishing research protocols. Every January, these students embark on a great adventure: their first research project. The fifth grade teachers and I work together to develop the parameters of this project, with my emphasis being on the model of research students must follow as well as the method of citation. Every year, we tweak it and make it better. This year, I provided a pathfinder to conducting research in the library that the students use when they come into the library or go the computer lab.
    

That's all for now. I reserve the right to add/edit this list in the future!

What I have, What I wish for ...

My media center has technology which students can use to access information, create presentations and communicate with others- although we don’t allow students to email. I do encourage teachers to follow up or extend the learning if I’ve hit upon something that the students can benefit from- such as subscription databases that can help them with research and personalized booklists that they can create in Destiny. And yes, I do welcome new opportunities to learn new technology.

I wish that the computer lab was physically attached to the library, but it isn’t. It’s one floor below me, on the other side of the building … Makes for a logistical nightmare if I want to take a couple of my classes there.

I have an LCD projector in the library and 7 student computers. When I plan a lesson that will include technology- say, a scavenger hunt, for instance, I make the computers one of the “stations.” The kids will travel to several sections of the library to complete the scavenger hunt. When I want students to use a variety of sources for an inquiry project, I will design it so that the computers will only be one component in their research process.

I wish I had a seat on the Technology Committee, because I would like to become involved with district wide technology decisions. I will be revisiting this issue with my principal before the start of the next school year.

My professional goals:
Continue using technology when appropriate to help my students become 21st century learners
Stay current with respect to new trends and tools in technology
Collaborate and work with entire grade levels to make sure we are all on the same page
Continue to offer staff development

Blogging Bonanza

This is an update on the new library blog. I'm thrilled at the response. Last night, before I had an opportunity to share it with my students, 3 of them - the Jacobs triplets- blogged from home. As I sit here typing, I've gotten 2 more email alerts about new postings. I'm going to have to put my thinking cap on and come up with some ways to tap into this obvious interest. As a former English teacher and a West Chester University Writing Fellow, I'm always exploring ways to integrate writing into the library program. I think I've hit on something ...

Meaningful Technology Tools: A BRIEF Survey

I had a discussion earlier today with one of the teachers in my building- a digital native. He teaches 5th grade and I was curious to know what technology tools he felt were meaningful to his students. He says that blogging has been a great experience for them. (I like his blog page. He's imported some Power Point presentations. I MUST ask him to help me with that ... I think he uses Slide.) His class also enjoyed a video conference earlier this year, with Historic Cold Spring Village, an early American village. The kids have been using the Pathfinder to Resources that I created for them and he says that it certainly has simplified his life! (I will be revisiting this with all the 5th grade teachers later this year, to see what changes or additions are needed for next year's research project.) They spend significant time in the lab, he says, writing and researching. Three out of the four teachers in this grade are digital natives. Two of them still use the overhead projector on a daily basis. One of them streams videos.

Fourth grade teachers are very into digital pictures. They are the number one borrowers of the cameras, which they have to sign out from me. They print the pictures for use in their students' journals and they import them into presentations. Only one of the 4th grade teachers really uses the library all day, every day. The kids do mini research projects and book reports. The other 4th grade teachers (2 of them are digital natives) are not in here often enough! They don't stream videos.

I never see 3rd grade teachers, unless they're dropping the kids off or picking them up.

First and Second grade teachers have participated in video conferences. They do not stream videos. I am spending more time this year helping those students learn how to search for books in Destiny. First grade does a mini animal research project. I don't know what second grade does, in terms of research. First grade teachers use the library as a warehouse. They sign out lots and lots of books- usually without my assistance. They take out the same books every year and don't inquire about new ones. I do make an effort to share new ones with them, though. I'm pushy like that.

I an old Spring Villagestoric Cold Spring Village

Oscar and the Movies

I'm watching the Academy Awards and reminiscing about some of the great movie experiences I've had ...

Another thought occurs to me: I don't understand how anyone can watch a film on an IPod!

Back in the seventies, I saw Star Wars in the movie theater and sharing that experience with my fellow movie- goers is one that I'll always remember. (We were booing Darth Vader and cheering on Han Solo!) I will also never forget the collective gasp of the audience near the end of The Sixth Sense.

Technology has its place, but how can you appreciate the artistry of film- making by watching it on a tiny screen?

I feel the same way about reading books. I won't be buying a Kindle. I have to hold the book.

I'm also thinking of the handful of films that I've seen that were as good as the book: Gone With The Wind, The Maltese Falcon, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Exorcist, The Outsiders, and The Godfather. I'm always telling my students that the book is almost always better than the movie ... They don't believe me!

I hear that a film version will be made of The Tale of Despereaux. I loved that book ... very Zen ... and heartbreakingly beautiful ... But the movie? We'll have to see.

Also, I read somewhere that Scorcese bought the rights to The Invention of Hugo Cabret, my favorite book of this past year. The book is a natural for the movies!

The Blogoshpere

Last week, I created a school blog on my school webpage. I've decided, for now, to ask students directed questions about literature and I'm hoping they will have fun with this! (Check it out: http://www.rtmsd.org/7441125615114947/site/default.asp?)

My students are a diverse group- some with computers at home and some with none. With respect to books, the same applies- some have them, some do not.

I worry not only about the lack of books and computers in their lives, but also about them not having opportunities to express themselves about things that matter to them. I'm hoping that if given the opportunity to speak their minds, without having to worry about their penmanship or about being graded, they will enjoy the experience.

There are many times when I feel that technology is not as important as literature, especially when I see some of the boys and girls struggle with reading and writing. Blogging is, I think, a perfect way for me to encourage and support their learning in a way that will also introduce them to technology.

The School Library As Warehouse v. The Library- Lovers

Here's the answer to the question I posed to myself last Thursday ... No. Teachers holding a faculty meeting in my library weren't tempted to check out the gorgeous books that were on display. The books were all standing tall like soldiers. No one even looked at them, as far as I could tell.

Some of my teachers check out oodles of books. They treat the library like a book warehouse.

Collaboration? This occurs when I approach them. I tend to approach the teachers that I believe will be receptive. I don't take rejection well. :0(

The only teachers with whom I collaborate on a semi- regular basis are the 5th grade teachers. Each year, I take a larger chunk of the Big Research Project. This year, I created a pathfinder to the library's resources and it was well received by teachers and students.

And the icing on the cake? Fifth- graders wander in and out of the library asking for all manner of things: a Native American tale because they're curious about something they read in class; a resource on the Rockettes because of an upcoming visit to NYC; more books on poisonous snakes because "they're cool," etc. THIS is why I do what I do!

Don't Mess With Librarians

Last Friday, the librarians in our school district did something shocking ... We met as a team! For the 2nd time this year!

The first order of business? To set 3 more meeting dates before the end of the year. We all agreed that we weren't going to let the principals or any other member of the administration prevent us from getting together. The elementary librarians have no common planning time, so we decided that we could meet with the middle school and high school librarians if we set the 3 meetings in lieu of reading with 2nd graders every morning-- a task we were told about at our first faculty meetings back in August by our respective principals. (BTW, I repectfully objected to that order at that very faculty meeting, stating that it was not in my job description to do this. My principal shot me down.)

In addition, the middle and high school librarians attended a workshop on advocacy at ALA Midwinter and we are going to request a flex workshop so they can share with us a plan for us to formalize our team's plans to be more visible in our buildings and in our community.

Yeah, us!

Test Scores

Our school district has invested a lot of money in technology this year. The kids are using computer programs to help them boost their test scores in math and reading.

My contribution to boosting test scores is teaching information literacy skills: how to use a table of contents, index, and glossary to locate and synthesize information more efficiently. I also ask students to locate specific facts in the World Book Encyclopedia. I'm seeing mixed results, which doesn't surprise me. I have explained to each 4th and 5th grade teacher the particular weakness that needs to be addressed in their classroom before the tests begin the end of March. I hope they follow up ...

Next week, I'm going to have my 5th grades put their shelves in order. They "adopted" their shelves in November, in conjunction with their study of decimals in their math classes. The teachers love that reinforcement and I love neat, orderly shelves!

Black History Month???

I'll be out of my building tomorrow to attend a library team meeting in another building in the district. There will be a faculty meeting in my library during my absence and I spent much of the morning selecting books to display - terrific new books I have about the Civil Rights movement, the Harlem Renaissance, the Tuskegee Airmen, as well as biographies of notable people and related fiction books as well. At the end of this task, I stood back to admire my beautiful display. As I was mentally patting myself on the back for making such excellent purchases for our library, it hit me. WHY are there so many books on display? Because no one has visited the library to peruse the collection and check out materials for the classroom.

I can't wait to return on Tuesday, to see if some folks checked out some of these books!

Hug Your Librarian

Back in 2004, a colleague, Joyce Valenza, wrote an article called, "Ten Reasons to Hug Your School Librarian." The article was published under the auspices of Classroom Connect and it was directed at classroom teachers. The closing line of her article has stayed with me. "Librarians get their kicks from making you look good. Not only do they help learners learn, they help teachers teach."

I copied and distributed the article to all my teachers and then went around to all the classrooms for my hug. I warned the teachers before- hand that I was going to be visiting the classroom for my hug and the kids thought it was hilarious.

This was also the article that inspired me to redouble my efforts to find teachers who would collaborate with me. Although this is not the latest article on school library advocacy, it's still a goodie. Check it out ... www.sdst.org/shs/library/pdf/hug.pdf

Libraries that are wired- and booked

I read a report about library usage among Generation Y, on or about the same day I started a new class on library issues and advocacy. The Pew Internet & American Life Project released this report on Dec. 30, 2007. (http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/231/report_display.asp) It states that, "Generation Y—18-to-30-year-olds, in particular—is more likely to turn to libraries to ferret out information than their older counterparts are. Furthermore," ... members of Gen Y are the leading users of libraries for help solving problems and in more general patronage." Students may not be abandoning libraries for the Internet, as some people have worried. Whew!!!

Just when I was beginning to see the end of my profession, I'm feeling re-invigorated by these kids- these same kids who are telling us they want American leadership to change course in politics. Maybe Gen Y is at the same place I came to a number of years ago. Computers cannot replace books. It's all about balance.

Mary Alice Anderson, in her article, "Why Are Media Positions Cut? How Not To Survive!" discusses all the reasons that libraries and media specialists are being phased out. Budget issues are mainly out of a librarian's control, but other factors can be used to the librarian's advantage to save the profession. In addition to things like keeping current with technology and education trends, why not look to these young students who are flocking to our libraries, as potential allies and advocates? They can speak forcefully about the importance of libraries in their lives.

The Open Library

Here's what I've done to embrace the district's goal to improve reading test scores:
Second grade reading group
Book clubs- grades 3, 4, & 5
Junior Great Books- grades 3, 4, & 5
Took charge of the Elementary Summer Reading List (I volunteered)
Took charge of 100 Book Challenge (I was volunteered)
Library doors are open before, during and after school
Open access for students, faculty and parents

Here's what I've done to promote the library:
Email teachers about terrific new books and websites
Offer to show teachers how to use Destiny, access online resources and databases, including NetTrekker, and stream videos
Meet informally with teachers to share lesson ideas and plans
The Poetry Cafe
Share data with principals about the importance of school library media centers
Actively recruit volunteer parents
Invite parents to the library to learn about the resources.
Invite the children's librarian from the public library

What do I still need to do?
More of the above!

Why do I feel that the library is being marginalized?
Giving up library class time for Guidance lessons. No other special area teacher has to make that sacrifice.
Teachers that are resistant to change the way they've been teaching.
A principal who does not take a leadership role in library advocacy. (i.e., She could, but doesn't insist that all teachers learn how to use Destiny.)
Teachers who view the library as warehouse. It is simply a place to borrow books (and not always return them!)

I want everyone to view the library as I do: the information hub of the school and the palace of reading!

Election Fever

I've been trying to gather the energy to record my observations of life as an elementary school librarian in the 21 st century, here in the outposts of suburbia. BUT, I've been feeling the effects of the flu. After more than 3 days in bed, I dragged myself to work and back to my bed again. Twice. Today is the first time I have felt coherent enough to write-- without humiliating myself.

The kids have accused me of having Election Fever because I've been talking about the current presidential primary season. It's true. I must have that bug that's going around- the one strain of the flu that my shot didn't immunize me from. I have made it my mission to teach old- fashioned Civics here in the Library. I was the generation that fought to lower the voting age and it distresses me greatly when I look at the numbers and I see that young people aren't voting in droves. The little bit of energy I can muster this week has been spent on sharing books and interactive websites about voting, how our government works, and the responsibilities of citizenship.

I read the most wonderful book to my classes last week: The Day Gogo Went To Vote, by Elinor Sisulu. Based on a true story, it is about a 100 year old great grandmother who gets to vote for the first time in 1994 in S. Africa. I think the kids really got it.