Deconstructing research

For the first time in several years, I'm a practicing librarian again, which is great. One thing it's done is allow me to see how things are from a student's perspective.

I've realized that kids, even smart, tech-savvy high schoolers, need the research process broken down into steps. It's not enough to throw out a six-step process, show them how to access the databases, and walk around to see if they need help.

Below is a work in progress called Deconstructing the Research Process that I've used with good success for the last couple of classes who have researched in the library. I gave every student a copy with the home use database passwords on the back and very briefly walked the kids through the process, giving examples that applied to their research.

In a perfect world, kids would choose their own topics and this handout would reflect that ownership. It would also be better for the kids for this overview to be chunked into smaller sections and presented at the point of need.

Your comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome! Because the format doesn't hold well here, I'd be happy to email this to you in a Word doc to use with your students.

Deconstructing the Research Process
1. Understand your task—how do I get started?
a. Set deadlines for yourself. When is the project due?
b. Find out what product you will create. Is there a rubric or project sheet to consult?
c. Find out how you will cite your sources.
d. Know what your responsibility is if you are working with a partner or group.
e. Ask how much detail will be needed. What is the scope of the project?
2. Plan for your topic—what do I need/want to learn?
a. Have a clear understanding of who/what your topic is.
b. Gain an overview by reading about your topic in your textbook or on Wikipedia, for example.
c. Look up unfamiliar words while reading the overview.
d. Jot down keywords while you read.
e. Realize why your topic is important.
3. Search for information—where do I find information? (Ask your librarian for tips!)
a. Know the number and type of sources required.
i. Reference or informational books vs. encyclopedia
ii. Database vs. internet
iii. Journal vs. magazine
b. Ask if a specific organizational tool (notecards, graphic organizer, etc.) is required for note taking.
c. Plan search terms by looking at the keywords you jotted down earlier.
d. Search multiple sources of information.
4. Use the information you find—what do I do with the information?
a. Take notes as you search, finishing with one source before moving to the next one.
b. Organize your notes by subtopic, not by source.
c. Write down words and phrases only—this is key to avoiding plagiarism.
d. Collect necessary information to cite your sources.
e. Keep checking what you’ve been asked to find—are you on track?
f. Consider all possible sources of information.
g. Try other keywords and/or other sources until you find all you need.
5. Create a product using the information—how do I present the information?
a. Consult your project sheet again.
i. Who is your audience? What is your purpose?
ii. Double check the requirements for your project.
b. Organize and sequence pertinent information.
i. Discard information that is not relevant.
ii. Set aside information that may not be needed.
c. Cite sources correctly using required format.
d. Use high standards of quality to create your product.
6. Reflect on your process and product—what can I improve?
a. Revise and edit.
b. Get input as needed.
c. Proofread.
d. Finish your product and then publish, present, and share.

For next time, what would you do differently? What have you learned?

In praise of student email

Do your students have school-issued email accounts? If not, are they allowed to access their personal email accounts at school?

Do you encourage students to contact you via your school email if needed?

I hope so on all counts because email can be a powerful tool to help students at the point of need.

Last week I received several emails from students, and all were at night, over the weekend, or on a holiday. These industrious high school kids needed help with database logins, assistance in finding a particular news article, and clarification about when we'd scheduled our book club meeting. One awesome middle schooler emailed to recommend several books she recently read and loved for our new library blog.

If your school doesn't allow student email, I would encourage you to use these and other examples to campaign for this useful tool to expand the reach of your library. It's one more way that you can create a community of readers and learners at your campus.

Fall into the library

It's finally feeling like fall, and you can use this seasonal change for a fun library promotion.  

Invite your students and staff to "fall into the library!"

*Display fall books or suspenseful, scary ones
*Thank teachers for their support with a card and a "bite" of chocolate
*Invite staff and/or parents to "fall into the library" with an open house featuring treats, new books, and a spotlight on available library services
*Host a "Fall into the Library" day with an author visit or technology tailgate which could feature an array of technology tools and how to use them

Please share your ideas as well, and feel free to use this short Animoto video for your own foray into fall!

Creating a community of readers

For me there's nothing more fun than the smile of a kiddo who has read a book and loved it.  And if it's a book that I recommended, that's an amazing feeling.

And creating a community of readers?  Making progress toward that wonderful and lofty goal would probably be enough for most of us to retire happy.

But how can we set the tone for a community of readers at our schools?  How can we create excitement for pleasure reading when many kids think that's an oxymoron?

Let's start with what it's not.

Creating readers is NOT:
*based on rewards
*mandated
*tested
*computerized
*censored
*judgmental
*solitary

And on the positive side...

What do readers need?
*Choice
*Adults to model a love of reading
*Someone to recommend books especially for them
*Time
*A variety of books in many formats
*An opportunity to share what they read

What can we do to set the tone for a community of readers?

*Read what the kids read
*Read a ton
*Have an awesome collection
*Talk to kids about books
*Provide programming that encourages reading
*Know a wide variety of authors to recommend
*Keep a list of what you read

I'd love to hear your ideas for creating readers--please do share! I'll be happy to post them here, along with a list of programs that may encourage reading.

In the meantime, there's a good book and a comfy sofa that's calling my name...

It's a blast!

Start your school year with a blast.  A book blast, that is!  A book blast is simply a campaign to get a book in the hands of every student in your school in a short time.

Send a quick email to the teachers at your school that you have a goal for every student (and teacher!) to have a book by the end of the first week of school.  Too ambitious?  Huge campus?  Maybe you need to tack on a few more days, but if you set the deadline too far out, the sense of urgency is gone, and so is half the fun.

Ask teachers to bring their classes to the library for only 10-15 minutes.  You can warmly greet the students, mingle around, and help with reader's advisory.  No need to set them down for booktalks or a beginning of the year speech about your circulation policies.  It's a book blast!  Simply meet students, help them find a great book, get them checked out and back to class.

If teachers aren't able to bring whole classes, encourage them to send small groups or individuals.  Take a cart of books and a laptop out of the library and bring books to kids!

With you goal of every student quickly jumping in to reading, the first of the year will be a blast!

On being new

Starting this week I'm the new kid again.  After years of being a library administrator in a large public school district, I'm a librarian in a small independent school.  I'm excited about the change and everyone is great, but it's still a little unsettling.

Questions abound.  What the heck do all these acronyms mean?  Am I on this committee? Where is this room located?  What do I wear?

And even more odd, how do I check out books with this different circulation system?  How do I place a hold for a student?  Will teachers want to work with me?  Will kids want to come to the library?

Because I've been in education a few decades (ahem!) and I've been a librarian a couple of these, I'm able to step back and realize it will be ok.  But I have had to talk myself off the ledge a couple of times.

The point of this post?  Find the new person on your campus and show him/her around.  Any insider tips you can offer?  Seek them out at lunch and invite them to go with you (because that icky middle school fear of eating alone has reared its ugly head again for new folks).  Take them under your wing.

The great thing about being new is it's exciting.  How can I grow from this experience?  Who can I learn from this? What can I contribute? 

I once read that in a new job we have 60 days to see things with fresh eyes.  After that, we're part of the system.  While that's kind of comforting to think my anxiety is short term, it's also challenging.  How much can I take in during these two months?  What plans can I set in motion? 

So hey, new kids, we'd better get going. The countdown has started!

Best of luck for a great year!

Is it tomorrow yet?

Our grandsons are here for the Fourth of July weekend, and the younger one (the evil ninja on the right with the hopefully clean underwear on his head) woke up early with a lot on his mind.

"Nan, is it tomorrow yet?  Or it it later?  Because we were supposed to go buy fireworks then!"

Guess what, fellow librarians and educators? It is tomorrow, and it is later. The 21st century is here! Are we ready?

Is your library conducive for collaboration?

The collaboration we learned about in library school involves librarian-to-teacher planning.

But as our curriculums change to keep pace, collaboration is a valued skill for students.  In The Global Achievement Gap, Dr. Tony Wagner, co-director of Harvard's Change Leadership Group, identifies collaboration as one of seven survival skills critical to student success.

What can we do so that our libraries encourage student-to-student collaboration?

1.  Arrange furniture so small groups of students can easily work together.
2.  Allow productive noise.
3.  Work with your tech folks to allow students to bring their own devices.
4.  Establish relationships with students so they feel free to come to the library to work on projects as time allows.
5.  Ensure that the library is open before and after school and during lunch.
6.  Provide materials students may need.  This may range from up-to-date online resources to basic supplies.
7.  If space allows, set up a production lab so students may design and edit projects.  This could be a small office or workroom converted for this purpose.
8.  Collaborate with teachers to encourage projects that are process-based, inquiry-driven, and collaborative in nature.

Because students are social, collaboration is natural to them.  As students work together in our libraries, we may be able to observe skills that will help us improve our collaboration with teachers!

What other suggestions do you have to encourage collaboration among students in your library?

Nurture your (summer) reader

An open letter to parents, grandparents, and caregivers:

Summer is here, and with it comes swimming, vacations, lazy days, and hopefully, reading.

A landmark study reported in SLJ concludes that "...children who read at least six books during the summer maintained or improved their reading skills, while kids who didn't read any saw their skills slip by as much as an entire grade level"(See previous post).

The key to reading (summer or otherwise) is to make it enjoyable. If reading becomes a chore, it can be tedious at best and damaging to your child’s chances of becoming a lifelong reader at worst.

With this in mind, below are some tips for nurturing your reader:

1. Reading isn't just for bedtime.
You’re tired. Your kids are tired. Try setting aside another time when everyone is fresher and less cranky.

2. Allow your kids to choose their own books.
The most important thing is that they like the books they choose. If not, keep looking or ask a librarian for suggestions. Don’t force your taste on kids or make them read books that would be “good for them.”

3. Reading is its own reward.
We don’t need incentives to do pleasurable things, so if you hold up a carrot to get your kids to read, they will think of reading as something they have to be bribed to do.

4. Don’t say reading is important. Show it.
If you don’t read for pleasure, it’s going to be tough for your kids to be readers.

5. Reading aloud isn’t just for little kids.
Go ahead. Don’t be afraid to be goofy. Do the voices!

6. Provide the opportunity for reading.
Turn off the TV. Take books everywhere you go. Listen to audiobooks in the car.

7. Allow all types of reading.
Print books, ebooks, and audiobooks all “count” as reading. Ditto for magazines, comics, and graphic novels.

8. Own books.
Checking books out from the library is great, but nothing beats having a personal copy of favorite books. Give a bookstore gift card for special occasions!

9. Allow your kids the right to quit reading a book if they don’t like it and to re-read a book as many times as they want if they love it.

10. Talk about books with your kids.
Strike up a conversation about what they’re reading, not to test their comprehension, but to show genuine interest.

As summer ends and school begins, I hope you can look back at summer with memories of great vacations, lazy days, and favorite books that you and your child have shared.

An end and a beginning...

Today is bittersweet.  It's my last day as Library Coordinator for Frisco ISD, a job I've held for seven years.  I've been in the district for 11 years, which is forever for me and pretty long in such a fast growth district.

When I was hired as librarian at Staley Middle School in 2001, the district had eight campuses.  When I became coordinator in 2004, we had 21 campuses.  Now there are 49.

And I'm not doing a good job of letting go of our wonderful library program, this great position, and our awesome librarians, who are friends as well. 

But I have an exciting challenge ahead of me.  After 31 years in public education, I'm retiring to accept a wonderful new job.  In August I'll begin as Director of Libraries for Parish Episcopal School in Dallas.  I'll still be a library administrator, which I enjoy, and I will again be a librarian, which I love. 

I'll have a library!  And kids!

So change is in the air for me, and change will be on the horizon for Shelf Consumed as well.  This summer I hope to give it a little facelift.  And I'll keep posting, but maybe from a little different perspective since I'll be a librarian again.  YAY!

When I was seven, I joined Brownies because I wanted a uniform (a life-long goal I've yet to really reach).  We ended each meeting with a little song:  "Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other gold." 

This change feels much like that.  Silver and gold!