GoodReads.com

Professional Profile Username: MsBoese

Edison GoodReads Group: Edison Otters Love to Read

By now, I am sure most of you have heard about the social networking site GoodReads.com. I would suspect that most of you even have an account, as this site has grown exponentially over the last few years. A virtual meeting place for book-lovers, GoodReads.com is a growing site that allows readers to  review books, connect with other readers, and build and share virtual bookshelves. It can also be something teachers and parents use as a resource for staying on the cutting edge of children’s literature.

Although I cannot use this site with your children because of age-restrictions (Like Facebook, you must be at least 13 years old to join the site), I am interested in connecting with our parent population at Edison. I think this would be a great way for me to showcase what's popular in the library, what's an excellent book to read as a family, and it is also a way parents can contribute to the conversation. I have already connected with many parents over books in person, but by using the GoodReads platform, this will give us a chance to share book choices, review books read, and to start discussion groups on popular items. This could be our virtual children's literature book group. How fun!

If you don't already have an account, it's easy to join. Check out this GoodReads tutorial from YouTube.

This tutorial will also show you how to add my Edison GoodReads group: Edison Otters Love to Read. I have set the group up as private, which means I will need to approve your request to join. The challenge question asks how you are a member of the Edison community. You should be able to search for the group and send a request.

In addition to adding our group to your profile, you have the option of adding my professional account to your list of friends: MsBoese. This will allow you to see my bookshelves, which will showcase things like the most popular fiction, graphic novels, picture books, and nonfiction titles. Please remember that I am just starting this account up and I plan to add a lot to it over the next few weeks.

Please remember to add the following to your GoodReads account!

Professional Profile Username: MsBoese
Edison GoodReads Group: Edison Otters Love to Read

Screencasting in the Library

Parents,

There are a lot of great technology tools our there these days. It can almost be overwhelming. As I am half way through my second year in the library, the field of technology seems less daunting. I can quickly evaluate what will be great for the library and my students, and what will be nothing more than a novelty item.

In addition to teaching my students to become  information literate, which includes transliteracy, it is also my job to share resources with my classroom teachers. Some of these resources include books, websites, and items in which the integration of technology into the classroom can occur organically. With the roll-out of Google Apps for Education (GAFE) this year to our school, the majority of my attention has been placed in this arena, for both students and teachers. But I have just learned about a great screencasting platform called Screncast-O-Matic. Check out this short video on the tool.

There are so many uses for screencasting in our schools. From showing teachers how a certain website works, to recording how-to videos around math or science for students, to being able to guide parents through the process of online forms, there are a plethora of uses for screencastings in our school community. I have already started to create screencasts that support the library's curriculum. I hope to create many more screencast how-to videos for your children, in addition to training teachers on this great tool. Check out my first screencast for using the website CitationMachine.net.

Transliteracy in the 21st Century

Parents,

Today’s children visit their school libraries for a whole lot more than just checking out a great books to read. Students visit school libraries to learn to seek, evaluate, and use information in practical and tech savvy ways. Literacy, information literacy, digital literacy, technology literacy - these are all terms that refer to specific sets of skills students are required to master if they are expected to compete in our 21st Century world. Transliteracy is an umbrella term that encompasses these literacies. Transliteracy is the ability to read, write, and interact across a range of platforms, tools, and media (Newman, 2009). And in addition to finding a great books to read, it is the fundamental reason your children visit the school library each week.

Transliteracy is a term that was born out of a need to describe how communication has changed (Jaeger, 2011) Technology is evolving quickly and it is the school’s teacher librarian who will keep students, teachers, and staff up to date on the most relevant technological innovations in education today. In a world in which everything is becoming digital, students must be taught to use these devices and programs accurately and effectively.  From searching for books in a web-based catalog program, to being able to navigate Google Drive and Docs, to being able to access information from an online database or from a YouTube video , students must learn the ins and outs of using these tools and resources.

Transliteracy is the ability to read, listen to, view, understand, synthesize, and apply what we gather across different platforms (Jaeger, 2011). Children become transliterate by doing. Over the years when your children come to the library each week, I will be guiding them through lessons that will allow them to become transliterate. By collaborating with classroom teachers around research and literature studies, we will first figure out what we want students to learn. Then we will figure out how technology can be used to reach this goal. This will allow your children to develop transliteracy skills in an organic process. Your child will leave elementary school having had many opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of science, history, and other subject matter in transliterate ways.

Transliteracy Voicethread

Work Cited

Jaeger, P. (2011). Transliteracy: New Library Lingo and What it Means for Instruction. Library Media Connection, 30(2), 44-47. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from Eric.

Newman, B. (2009). Libraries and Transliteracy. [Video File] Retrieved from http://youtu.be/sk4Cw8vrDuM

What is Information Literacy?

One of the most important set of skills students will receive from their experience in our Library Media Center centers around Information Literacy, the ability to seek and use information to solve a problem , answer a question, or make a decision. Information Literacy is a broad term that includes other forms of newer literacies, including media literacy, digital literacy, technology literacy, and 21st Century literacy. The term also includes the ability to think critically.

There are many ways to go about becoming information literate. In our library, we will be using Michael Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz' Big6 information problem-solving model, which is the most widely know and used method in K-12 schools around the world. This six step method can be used over and over again to solve all kinds of information seeking tasks. 

Successful information problem-solving encompasses six stages:

1. Task Definition

1.1 Define the information problem
1.2 Identify information needed

2. Information Seeking Strategies

2.1 Determine all possible sources
2.2 Select the best sources

3. Location and Access

3.1 Locate sources (intellectually and physically)
3.2 Find information within sources

4. Use of Information

4.1 Engage (e.g., read, hear, view, touch)
4.2 Extract relevant information

5. Synthesis

5.1 Organize from multiple sources
5.2 Present the information

6. Evaluation

6.1 Judge the product (effectiveness)
6.2 Judge the process (efficiency)

Whether someone realizes it or not, we all go through these stages when seeking out information. It's important to remember that we do not need to go through these steps in a linear way. You might find that you go back and forth through these stages until the process is complete.

Work Cited

Eisenburg, M. (n.d.). Big6 Skills Overview. Retrieved February 10, 2015, from http://big6.com/pages/about/big6-skills-overview.php

Michael Eisenberg Vodcast #1- What is information literacy? [Motion picture]. (2010). United States. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/l9UXEDNP1lc

Viva la Library (The Information Literacy Song) [Motion picture]. (2013). United States. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/aMlDQlsna1U

Julia's House for Lost Creatures - Picture Book Favorite!

One of the cutest books I picked up this fall is Ben Hatke's, Julia's House for Lost Creatures. Hatke is best know for writing and illustrating the Zita the Spacegirl series. (More on this series in a future post!) Not only is the story sweet, but his watercolor illustrations are beautiful and easy to look at.

Julia's home is special in that it can walk. When it walks to its knew home by the seashore, Julia likes everything about her new town except how quiet it is. To liven thins up, Julia posts a sign on her home that says, "Julia's House for Lost Creatures." 

Before she knows it she is hosting a variety of creatures, including goblins, dragons, trolls, and mermaids. Although it is fun at first, things quickly get out of hand when they found a treasure in the attic. 

To find out how this lovely story ends, you will need to check the book out of our library. This just might be my favorite picture book of the fall season!

Title: Julia's House for Lost Creatures

Author: Ben Hatke

Publisher: Roaring Book Press

Copyright: 2014

ISBN: 978-1-59643-866-8

Oh Lulu!

I have been lucky enough to stumble across a great little book with a BIG little girl. Lulu and the Brontosauruses, by Judith Viorst, is one of the funniest book I have read in quite a while. Lulu is the definition of a spoiled brat. But she is also one tough little cookie. Although I started the book shocked at the behavior of little Lulu, I quickly grew to love her tenacious ways.

A few things, in addition to Lulu, make this a unique read. One of the things my students and I have loved about this story is how the writer, not Lulu, pauses to talk to the readers. It's surprising and fun to all of a sudden be in a conversation with the author. Another unusually cool part of this book is how the reader gets to choose the ending!  

As soon as I read part of this book to a class, I realized I had come across something I KNEW would be appreciated by my students. There is already a waiting list! I highly recommend this book to ALL students at Edison. Whatever your age, Lulu is sure to appeal to your funny bone!

    

Check out this quick book trailer!

Want to learn to draw your own Brontosaurus? Learn how here!

New to Chapter Books?

Parents and Students,

One of the things I love most about being the Teacher Librarian of my school is watching the excitement young students have as they transition from picture books to chapter books. Books in a series, particularly mysteries, are a great way to get young students to become readers who read for enjoyment. The list below are some of the most popular choices of my emerging readers in first and second grade.


1. Field Trip Mysteries, by Steve Brezenoff

Egg, Gum, Sam, and Cat are four sixth-grade detectives and best friends who always seem to find themselves in the middle of a new mystery. Students who start this series always come back for the next story. 

To find out more about these sleuth-loving characters visit the book's website by clicking on the link below.

Field Trip Mysteries - More about the characters

2. Mercy Watson, by Kate DiCamillo

Mercy Watson is an adorable little pig who lives with Mr. and Mrs. Watson. Treated more like a child than a pig, Mercy's most favorite thing in the world is buttered toast. He will do just about anything to get it. Follow Mercy's adventures and mishaps in this delightful six-book series by Kate DiCamillo. The illustrations by Chris Van Dusen are colorful and delightful and add a lot of interest and detail to the stories.

You can learn more about Mercy, explore his neighborhood, and even play games with him by visiting Mercy's website.

Mercy Watson

3. Magic Tree House, by Mary Pope Osborne

The Magic Tree House has been around for many years now, but it's still a favorite of students. Brother and sister duo, Jack and Annie, stumble across a magical tree house filled with books one day. Their lives have never been the same! Taking readers along with them, Jack and Annie travel through different places and time periods, learning more about people and the world around them than they ever thought possible.  

Learn more about this series by visiting the website below.

Magic Tree House

4. Cam Jansen, by David A. Adler

Cam Jansen is another mystery series that has been around for a long time. Students still gravitate towards these books, however, and seem to enjoy connecting with the character and plot. Cam has a photographic memory that comes in handy when solving crimes. Always bringing her best friend Eric along for the ride, the two always have quite an adventure figuring things out. 

Learn more about Cam by visiting the website below.

Cam Jansen

5. Junie B. Jones, by Barbra Park

Junie B. Jones is still around! This mischievous, daring, opinionated little girl is still entertaining our young readers. Junie B. continues to be a funny read for all who like to get lost reading about her adventures and mishaps in life. 

Check out the website to learn more about Junie B. and the other main characters!

Junie B. Jones

Other great first chapter books include:

6. Nate the Great, by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

Nate the Great

7. Flat Stanley, by Jeff Brown

Flat Stanley

8. The Time Warp Trio, by Jon Scieszka

Time Warp Trio

9. The Zack Files, by Dan Greenburg

10. Jigsaw Jones, by James Preller