The Governor Loves Libraries

Last month, I was honored to have the opportunity to meet with Governor Maggie Hassan, along with several other members of the N.H. School Library Media Association.  Governor Hassan spoke with us about her belief that libraries and librarians are the center of information access in a democratic society. She also spoke about her father, a former public school history teacher, and the unique role school librarians play in the education of today's students.

When asked, I commented that even our youngest students are learning how important it is to find good, reliable facts in an increasingly information-saturated world. I spoke about how Underhill students know there is more to the Internet than Google, and that evaluating a source is a skill that has become a priority for identifying dependable information.

After our discussion, Governor Hassan signed a Proclamation as follows:

"WHEREAS, libraries are the heart of their communities, campuses and schools;

WHEREAS; librarians work to meet the changing needs of their communities, including providing resources for everyone and bringing services outside of library walls;

WHEREAS, libraries and librarians bring together community members to enrich and shape the community and address local issues;

WHEREAS, librarians are trained, tech-savvy professionals, linking libraries and making resources more easily accessible for library users around the world;

WHEREAS, in a world undergoing constant change, libraries provide enduring connections to the past and future of our communities, nations and civilizations;

WHEREAS, libraries continuously grow and evolve in how they provide for the needs of every member of their communities;

WHEREAS, libraries, librarians, library workers and supporters across America are celebrating National Library Week. Libraries are part of the American Dream - places for opportunity, education, self-help and lifelong learning.

NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that I Governor Margaret Hassan proclaim Support Your Library Week, April 13-19, 2014.  Communities matter at your library. I encourage all citizens to take advantage of the wonderful library resources available. Visit the library and see why there's something for everyone at your library."

WANTED AD

WANTED:  
One very funny children's book author and illustrator. Must be able to understand the humor of kids ages 5-8 years old. Experience as a recovering second grade teacher preferred. Ability to make kids laugh until they wet their pants a plus. Real learning amidst the humor required.

The right man for this job is...

Marty Kelley came to Underhill School and fulfilled every single qualification (well, I don't think anyone really wet their pants but there were some close calls).

The students roared with laughter, the teachers chuckled (several guffawed), and everyone had one heck of a good time.  In the midst of all that fun, students learned a lot about how to write and illustrate.  Here is what they said (in their own words, although I have corrected the spelling in the interest of comprehension:

"I learned it is okay to start a story in the middle."

"He says he likes to make kids cry but he really makes them laugh."

"You have to keep fixing your writing over and over and over - it's called editing. You get a poster if you know that."

"You can get an idea for a story from going on vacation."

"Marty Kelley ROCKS!"

Yes.  Yes, he does.

Angie says: Let the Librarians Lead

One of our very own, Angie Miller (Library Media Specialist at Inter-Lakes Jr/Sr High School) was asked to write a blog post for Education Week on teacher leadership. She says, "I used the opportunity to promote all that you do in your schools! Thanks for the daily inspiration; so proud to be working among your ranks now!"

Her article begins:  

"When I was in the classroom, I yearned to have a colleague who knew my curriculum and could counsel me in literacy practices and effective and efficient technology integration. A peer who understood adolescent development and would problem solve by my side. One who could talk through the intricacies and complications of guiding students through analytical research. A collaborator and innovator to help push me deeper into my own practice. I was looking for somebody who had superpowers, and she was nowhere to be found.

So I decided to become her myself: I became a librarian."

Read the rest of Angie's article here: Let the Librarians Lead

Libraries vs. Poverty

In the latest issue of Knowledge Quest, the Journal of the American Association of School Librarians, *Steven Krashen criticizes the Common Core.  While I don't necessarily agree with his position, I am glad to know that there are educational experts who are questioning and evaluating this new direction.  His stance posits that the real problem in our schools is an epidemic of poverty.  I found the following conclusions very interesting and worth noting:

Lack of access to books 
There is very clear evidence that children from high-poverty families have very little access to books at home, at school, and in their communities (Newman and Celano, 2001; Duke, 2001; additional studies reviewed in Krashen, 2004). Studies also show when children have access to interesting and comprehensible reading material, they read (Krashen, 2001; 2004). And finally, when children read, they improve in all aspects of literacy, including vocabulary, grammar, spelling, reading and writing ability (McQuillan, 1998; Krashen, 2004). In fact, the evidence is strong that reading for pleasure, self-selected reading, is the major cause of advanced literacy development. Making sure that all children have access to books makes literacy development possible. Without it, literacy development is impossible. 

Libraries 
Libraries are often the only source of books and other reading material for children of poverty and they are a potent source: A number of studies confirm that providing access to books via libraries has a positive impact on reading development: The better the library (more books, presence of a credentialed librarian, better staffing), the higher the reading scores (e.g. Lance and Helgren,

2010) Krashen, 2011). Multivariate studies show that the positive impact of school libraries can be as strong as the negative impact of poverty on reading achievement (Achterman, 2008; Krashen, Lee and McQuillan, 2012): in other words, a good library can offset the effect of poverty on literacy development. 

*Stephen Krashen is professor emeritus at the University of Southern California.  He is a linguist, educational researcher, and activist.  Click here to go to his blog: http://skrashen.blogspot.com

New Year's Resolution

Please feel free to share this with your students' parents.
From:  raisingreaders.org

What the IIM?

The Independent Investigation Method (IIM) is a teacher-created, proven model for teaching students from Kindergarten through High School levels how to conduct good, reliable, and copy-free RESEARCH.  Today's students are living and learning in an information-saturated environment. Finding facts is not a problem; we are all bombarded with facts, factoids and false facts on a daily basis.  Our students need a method for sorting through these facts to find what they need to answer their questions, from "What would happen if frogs dropped out of the food chain?" to "What college should I apply to?" 

IIM provides the scaffolding to guide even our youngest students through the research process. The skills they develop as a result will enable them to become independent, knowing how to:

• choose an appropriate topic (not too broad, not too narrow)
• set reasonable goals (enough facts, a variety of resources, and good questions)
• conduct reliable and ethical research (not plagiarizing, not copying, using appropriate sources)
• organize their information (sorting, analyzing and synthesizing what they need)
• evaluate their process (checking on their goals, deciding when they have what they need to move forward)
• develop and create their product (showing what they've learned in a unique and engaging manner)
• and preparing a presentation (sharing their knowledge and skills with an understanding of their audience).

This is such an important process, and though we are only getting them started at the K-2 level, my colleagues at Memorial and Cawley Schools have remarked on how capable our students are as they continue to develop their research skills based on the IIM experiences we provide at Underhill School. 

Click here for helpful links to information from the IIM website:

 Resources from the IIM Teacher Lounge

Do the Hokey Pokey!

Recently, I heard a talk given using the childhood dance, "The Hokey Pokey" as a metaphor for many things in our lives. It occurred to me that this can also be used to describe our move toward transforming education into 21st century teaching and learning.

"Put your right hand in..."    
If you have a familiar lesson that might lend itself to some updating, think about how you might tweak it to include engaging technology, higher order inquiry or new resources.  You don't need to change much; you just need to be willing to "put your right hand in and shake it all about."

"Put your left foot in..."   
Decide how you can take a small step toward transforming how you approach your teaching.  Are you doing most of the talking in your classroom?  Is there a way you can turn some of the responsibility for learning over to your students?  Perhaps by setting up a center and allowing students to explore a webquest, you can begin to empower them as learners even as they help each other.

"Put your head in..."   
Humans instinctively resist change; sometimes it seems we just get comfortable with how we are teaching and something new rears up and causes friction.  As anxiety-producing as change can be, it also affords us the chance to be learners as well as teachers. And the satisfaction of being able to say "I did it!" is no less powerful at our age as it is at our students' age. Put your head in by finding someone to support you; tell yourself you won't give up; set small, attainable goals and pretty soon you will be ready to...

"Put your whole self in!"  
Allow yourself to become fully engaged, immersed in the possibilities, confident of finding the right resources and support, ready to be successful and turn yourself around, because...

THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!

Click here for-->  Hokey Pokey Song video