Group items tagged

"Extreme Speed Booking" The idea behind the site is to introduce students to a variety of books and form classroom book groups. How does Extreme Speed Booking work? A whole lot like speed dating. :) Students spend a little time with each book and then rate them accordingly with "I want to read more", "Interesting", "Not for me", or "I've already read". Students can also make a note of how interested they are in reading the book (maybe a 1-10 scale)? This process introduces students to a variety of books, genres and authors. Students may come across titles and authors they wouldn't otherwise find. It also helps teachers form classroom book groups that are of high-interest and investment to students because they had input.

Summer vacation is just around the corner and teachers and librarians are freaking out. It has nothing to do with lost books or late report cards. It has everything to do with reading. After spending months working to get students into the habit of reading, myself and many of my colleagues are concerned that much of that hard work (on both sides) will be undone by two months of (much needed) summer distractions. To help students keep reading in the summer, I've been showcasing several websites with my K-6 students to encourage to keep those reading skills sharp. Below is a list of five of the best websites to help kids keep up their reading this summer.

Reluctant readers are those who, for whatever reason, do not like to read.
Reluctant readers are typically students who are disengaged, struggling readers, many of which are not realizing success in any aspect of their school career. Educators encounter struggling readers in the classroom every day. These students need to be engaged in reading and must be helped to develop the skills required to not only be successful in school, but to become lifelong readers and learners. All students will require advanced literacy skills regardless of their post secondary pathway, and reluctant and struggling readers need extra support in achieving this end.

Academic standards define expectations for the educational achievement of Minnesota's public school students in grades K-12. The standards and benchmarks are important because they: 1) identify the knowledge and skills that all students must achieve by the end of a grade level or grade band; 2) help define the course credit requirements for graduation; and, 3) serve as a guide for the local adoption and design of curricula. Student mastery of the standards is measured though state and local assessments.

ISTE's NETS for Students (NETS*S) are the standards for evaluating the skills and knowledge students need to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly global and digital world.

Leveraging the Discourse of Common Core Standards to Spur Conversations for Student Learning and School Libraries by Buffy Hamilton June 2012

Infographics work in the classroom because they grab students and allow an entry point to learning - and because they sum up pages and pages, even chapters, of information that would take a reader hours to process. Interactive infographics make kids want to immediately start clicking around to see what's what. For a teacher who prioritizes an inquiry-driven classroom, that's a great starting point. Infographics and Data visualization are not just for consumption though, teachers and students can also challenge the learning process by creating original graphics for themselves.

"We use task cards all the time. Students would rather do those than a worksheet. Plus, it's great for a quick mini-assessment. I usually use them after teaching the skill for a couple of days. We play Scoot a lot; students will do them in small groups, and sometimes in groups of three they will work on the activity cards."

...create a quiz on this site, and print out the QR codes which provide students with the directions and the questions via a series of QR codes. You can cut them apart and have a treasure hunt or simply give the students the codes and allow them to answer the questions by scanning the QR code with their mobile device.

I think there is also a perception that if we don't have the paper books then we don't need the library or the librarians in schools. I think it's flawed logic. Information is changing its format; yes, it's online, it's an ebook, it's a book you can download onto an iPad, but it's still information. Kids need to know how to evaluate it even more so now than before because there is much more of it. Kids need to be able to determine whether it is useful or valid information. Librarians take the lead in helping educate students through the information jungle, and with even more sources and formats, the role of the librarian becomes even more critical. So even though paper books are becoming less prominent, the skills needed are even more advanced than what was needed before. School librarians are critical to helping students navigate through this information explosion.

At EasyBib we are intimately aware of the issues that plague students surrounding information literacy. Plagiarism, source attribution and critical thinking are among some of the real problems that our educators and students face. We put together this infographic to shed light on the matter, to underscore why librarians are needed more than ever, and to show what EasyBib is doing about it. Click the image for a bigger size!

In this light lesson, students exercise their library shelving skills. A work sheet (provided) invites them to come to the aid of two rambunctious students who have made a mess in the school library.

Recognizing bias: This 2 ½ minute video uses a pizza restaurant ad to give students a succinct introduction to the concept of bias. It also presents three specific questions students can ask to detect bias in the media and their daily lives. (Social studies, Social responsibility, Literacy)

Nonfiction texts allow children to experience the wonder of the world. Facts come alive when books about animals, people, or objects are read to children. Nonfiction texts build on children's interests and increase vocabulary and background knowledge. When we help our students become proficient readers of nonfiction texts, we help them become successful at school and in the "real world." Research shows that about 85% of what adults read on a daily basis is nonfiction. Teachers have a great responsibility in teaching students to tackle this genre. READ ON to check out resources for teaching nonfiction reading concepts, including posters, links to great Web sites and articles, printables, an exciting new way to make current events interactive, and much more!

Each is a short presentation, less than 10 minutes.  All are effective and provide an important resources that I integrate into lessons.  I have used these videos here with upper-elementary students, middle school students, and even high school students.  The key is to include enriched content in a short, attention-grabbing way.  You will find that the formats and styles I use work with very wide and diverse age groups.

ELL Bill of Rights, beautiful poem

"The findings show that New Jersey school libraries and school librarians contribute in rich and diverse ways to the intellectual life of a school, and to the development of students who can function in a complex and increasingly digital information environment," said Dr. Ross Todd, lead researcher in the study and CISSL director.

The Information Fluency Continuum, developed by the New York City School Library System, provides a framework for the instructional aspects of a library program. The framework is based on three standards that form the basis for the skills and strategies that are essential for students to become independent readers and learners.

Might be a good resource to follow: The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

is a unique and vital gathering place for books, ideas, and expertise in the field of children's
and young adult literature. The CCBC is a noncirculating examination, study, and research library
for Wisconsin school and public librarians, teachers, early childhood care providers, university
students, and others interested in children's and young adult literature. The CCBC is part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) School of Education (SoE), and receives additional support from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

In first grade we are learning about poetry by playing the paper bag game. I don't tell the students what we are going to be studying for the next few library lessons. Instead I  introduce poetry with a game - The Bulldog Paperbag Game!