This week we are celebrating our love of reading.
Author, and former primary art teacher at IICS, Jo Hodgkinson came to visit us. She read her books to us, she helped us draw snails and invent magic potions. Our secondary student writers had a special lunch with her.
Thanks so much for visiting with us Jo.
At a recent librarian workshop I shared some of the ways we use our library management system Follett Destiny as a learning tool with our students. As part of my presentation I showed this short movie. Here are our students at work using Destiny – they are developing Information, Community and Tool literacy skills as they learn.
Library Report January 2014
Successes
New Staff member hired and trained: Just before the start of the school year Ozlem Nguvu joined the Marmara Library team. Ozlem had no library training or experience when she started school but in the short time she has been with us she has developed expertise with our Library Management System and is working well with our students and staff. On the 20th of January Ozlem will be participating in a Destiny workshop at Robert College which will further her understanding of the LMS and give her the opportunity to network with other school librarians in Istanbul. Special thanks to Pla Sankham for her support for Ozlem as she learned ou system.
Growth Mindset goal developed: During the whole staff professional development day on Growth Mindset our library team met face to face for the first time. We used the time to develop our focus on browsing as a way to encourage students to have a growth mindset when choosing books to read. This also works in our continue focus on creating our Inquiry Library at IICS.
The library team together on Professional Development day
International Story Reading Event: Our goal is to have three of these events this year in the Primary School and develop a way to progress Mother Tongue reading enjoyment in the secondary school. Our first event was in November.
Embedded librarian concept explored: With the grade 8 multi-discipline unit at the start of the year there was an opportunity to have students using the library as an extra learning space and informally working with the teacher librarian as the unit progressed. This provided a good start to the notion of the library as a creator space and having the information expertise of the librarian available much of the time. This is also happening throughout the year with grade 5W and their passion place work. The next step for the grade 8 work is to contribute to the evaluate of the unit and future planning of this and other multi-discipline units in the MYP.
Seminars and workshops at conferences: In July I present at the School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (SLANZA) conference in Wellington. I gave a workshop on developing an Inquiry Library which showcased the work we have been doing here at IICS. In January I will be presenting two workshops on the 20th and 21st for the Follett Destiny training days. The first will be how we use Destiny at IICS. The Follett representative for Asia and Europe asked me to create this as she sees our school using this technology in the most innovative way for our region. I have also been asked to deliver the Inquiry Library Workshop for this workshop.
Continued contribution to the implementation of the New Literacies Curriculum: I am working alongside my New Literacies team mates to continue refining and implementing the NL curriculum with our teaching colleagues and their classes. In November I contributed to the half day workshop for grade 2 teachers.
January – June 2014 Library Goals developed: This is a little after the fact of the start of the year but these goals will help keep us mission minded and purpose driven for the rest of the year.
Challenges
Possible schoolwide Information Process model: With grade 11 about to embark on their Extended Essay I am considering introducing to them and the staff members involved in supervising the EE a specific Information Search Process model to support their work throughout this task. I will discuss this with Fred to begin with and work from there.
Love Reading week in February: The feedback from last year’s love reading week was very helpful so the quizzes will continue but with acknowledgements of correct entries rather than first to finish. The Speech and Debate students will be invited to share their dramatic readings with classes in the secondary lunch hour. At present we do not have a guest writer with us. Our focus will be choosing a just right book. Other plans are underway – more to come on this challenge
Opportunities
Exploration and expansion of electronic database and ebook collection; It seems we have some funding available this year to explore the electronic library called ebrary. I have allocated money for this in next year’s budget as well. During 2012 we ran a successful trial of this collection and they offered us a very good price to subscribe. Unfortunately the school was not in the financial position to commit to this at the time. I will approach them to see if they are willing to negotiate with us and provide their service for six months and then for all of next year. Ebrary offers academic databases and ebook library which would greatly enhance the opportunities for our DP and upper MYP students as well as any staff who are undertaking academic study.
Primary students welcome in the library at lunchtime: Now that winter is upon us it might be an opportunity to explore welcoming upper primary students into the library during their lunch break and possibly their morning break as well. I know that outdoor play is to be encouraged but during days of bad weather the library may provide a useful quiet reading and learning space as an alternative to classrooms for student wishing to come by. This is something we can explore with Angela and the team leaders.
Library thought
“In the nonstop tsunami of global information, librarians provide us with floaties and teach us how to swim.” — Linton Weeks, Washington Post, Jan. 13, 2001.
Amanda Bond
Teacher Librarian
January 2014
On Wednesday I was delighted to be the guest speaker at the PTA coffee morning. We had an intimate group and together we reflected on our own reading habits. After we had done that in line with our current focus on growth mindset I invited everyone to change from the idea of a reading habit, habits sound mindless and routine to reading innovation which reflects that our reading should be a growing, changing evolving and mindful part of our lives.
Below are the slides I used. Thanks so much to the PTA for the opportunity to share this discussion and new understanding with you.
This week Grade 10 were looking at how to create in text citations using MLA format
Our students are creating TED talks at the moment. Here are some useful resources on how to structure effective presentations.
TEDxEast – Nancy Duarte uncovers common structure of greatest communicators
A formula on how to create the BEST TED talk ever (humour) by Sebastian Wernicke – worthwhile ideas to consider though in terms of language, visuals and presentation.
We invite our students, literate and pre literate to learn for themselves that reading is enjoyable and fun. Pictured here are some of our students at Hisar Library sharing and reading books for fun.
Our students use the library for their studies, rehearsals and reading. Recently we had the goddess Athena practicing her introduction speech for grade 8 students.
The goddess Athena, visiting our library
The New Literacies framework at IICS provides strands to guide us as we work developing Information, Community and Tool literacy with our students.
A group of grade 3 students are using their reading time to pursue personal inquiries. The students select their own topics and work in the library, creating inquiry questions and then locating and reading information that will help them to find the answers.
Our first step was to create great questions using brainstorming, mapping our ideas and discussion. Brainstorming helps the students recall what they already know about their topic. The mindmap is created from the brainstorm and allows the students to organize their ideas. Every student was able to identify good research questions through the mindmap and our discussions. These skills and strategies link into our New Literacies document in strand 2 of Information literacy 2. Generate appropriate questions for investigation. Be aware that questions can and should develop and change throughout the investigation.
The students then used the laminated keys to write down the key words they would use when searching for books and website on our Library Catalogue. The key provides them with the main key word and then alternative words whcih will expand the information search or narrow it. Using key words when searching for information is an important strategy no matter what source is being used. This relates to Information Literacy strand 4. Explore key search terms and how they can assist with locating information in a variety of sources.
Students from grade 3P using Information Literacy skills to locate information for their personal inquiries
Our library is for our whole school community including our parents.
Parents can join our library – just see one of the librarians. There is no limit to the number of books they can borrow. Due to the limited number of DVD’s we have they can borrow one DVD at a time – like all our borrowers.
Our catalogue is available on the school website under “My IICS” and at this web address.
We welcome our whole school community back to school and to our library.
Our parents chatting about books in the library
