Summer Reading Kicking Off

I am so excited that so many of our students have indicated an interest in our Summer Reading Program.  So far our students have logged onto MyOn and spent a total of 738 minutes reading a total of 48 books  There will be no summer slide here!

I wanted to mention two other excellent online book resources for your child to consider.  The first is TumbleBooks. TumbleBooks has read-alongs, storybooks, nonfiction, and National Geographic videos.  Quizzes and activities accompany most of the books.

The second resource is our FollettShelf.  The books in this collection were selected by your library media specialist and almost all titles are Reading Counts.  While it is true that students cannot take quizzes until they return to school in August, they can get a head start by reading these books.  Students may access Reading Counts by logging in with their nine-digit student number for both their usernames and passwords.  (If you don't know your child's number, please email me at lsmartin@access.k12.wv.us.)  

If your child would like to write about his reading, we have two online venues for him to pursue. The first is our wiki BrookhavenReads.  Once on the site, parents should request access for their child. Once access is approved, your child can login and create a new page or review his book in the comment section of the front page.

The second venue is Destiny Quest, our library catalog.  If a book is in our collection, students may write a review of the book they read or recommend what they have read to a friend.  Many students already have Destiny Quest accounts.  If your child does not, you may use his student number to create an account.  The recommended username for your child is his nine digit student number.  The recommended password would be his first initial of his first name and the first four digits of his last name.  If you need any help or have any questions, please email me at lsmartin@access.k12.wv.us.

I look forward to hearing from your child!

Why I Have Changed My Mind about "Library Skills" Instruction

Cross-posted from Random Thoughts

Back in the day, I had vociferously argued that library skills instruction is child abuse, that being part of a "specials" or "planning period" rotation was a waste of my time.  Now I am begging my principal to "let" me be in the specials rotation for fourth grade everyday next year.

What's changed?

Lots of things.

Shift from Worksheet-Based Instruction to Project-Based Learning

One of the most exciting changes in education is the continuing emphasis on project-based, active learning where students will work on a project in which they will create real meaning.  This is immeasurably preferable to worksheets where students would perfect skills on using the library without actually using it.  How boring are guide words and alphabetizing to the third letter!  But how easily acquired are these skills when they are being used as a means to a learning goal! Students take their work much more seriously when they know their work will reach a public audience, and a public audience is a key component of project-based learning.

Emphasis on Higher Level Thinking Skills and Critical Meaning

Hand in hand with the shift to project-based learning is the emphasis on higher level thinking skills, collaborative learning and critical thinking skills.  Life skills such as planning time, public speaking and targeting an audience are also emphasized.   When a child utilizes these skills to achieve a learning goal, he not only conquers content but also becomes better prepared for life beyond school.

Availability of Resources

In the old days of "library skills" taught in isolation, children were asked to use print sources such as the Reader's Guide to direct them to resources that were more than often not available in the library.  A student wanting to find information on a topic of personal interest was often disappointed to learn that his favorite athlete did not have an article in the 20 year-old encyclopedia.  Hitting dead ends left students (and this teacher) hopelessly discouraged about the value of library skills.  

Compare the previous scenario with our present day situation.  Musty,       misfiled catalog cards that searched an outdated collection have been replaced by automated systems that permits federated searches of all available resources.   The availability of so many sources in full text, online resources is much more gratifying for students searching for  - and actually finding -information.  The increasing availability of laptops and other mobile devices has made information even more accessible.  Children are encouraged to seek information outside their school walls.  Librarians across the county are willing to share resources with children they do not know.


Need for Resource Evaluation and Ethical Use of Information

With the increased publication, interlibrary loan capabilities, and access to electronic media comes a new problem:  too much information.  Yes, students can find -readily- information on any topic, but not all information is equal in terms of quality. Children must learn to be critical users of information.  They need more and more assistance reading for a purpose and paraphrasing information.  They need help synthesizing information from all kinds of different media (transliteracy) into one cohesive package of understanding.

And finally, kids need to be ethical users of information.  They need to understand copyright use and limitations to avoid snafus in their personal and professional lives. Students will see their own works published online.  They will need to learn how to protect their own work as well as respect the rights of others.

I may regret this decision to push to be included in the skills rotation, but ultimately, I think it is important.  I want a balance of fixed vs. flexible scheduling, with the majority of time flexible.  But I need to step up my game.

Thank you, Mrs. Napolillo!

Nancy Napolillo has served as technology coordinator of Monongalia County Schools for more than 15 years.  Under her direction, every classroom in Monongalia County has been wired for Internet access. Teachers have been trained to use new technologies Smartboards, document cameras, and virtual field trips have become the norm rather than the exception. Parents and students are able to track students' progress online with EdLine.  Our technology is supported by a cadre of well-qualified technicians. We teachers, parents and students owe much of our progress in terms of technology integration to Nancy Napolillo's vision.

Nowhere has Mrs. Napolillo's influence been greater than in our school library media centers.  Though not a school librarian by training, Mrs. Napolillo educated herself on library issues and served as a supportive supervisor for many years.   Under her direction, all libraries in Monongalia County became automated with stand-alone, school-based library catalog and circulation systems. In 2006 the entire county upgraded to a district wide system that facilitates interlibrary loan and social interactions for patrons. Mrs. Napolillo made sure that the costs of maintaining these expensive systems did not impinge upon our libraries materials allotment.

In addition to moving our libraries into the 21st century in terms of software and hardware, Mrs. Napolillo ensured we had high quality resources for our students to use.  World Book Online, several Ebsco databases, and Discovery Streaming have been provided for all Monongalia County libraries. This provision ensures that our students have access to new, up-to-date reference books, high quality, full-text periodicals, and multimedia.  Again, this was provided without dipping into our libraries' materials budget.

Mrs. Napolillo is leaving her position as Director of Technology and Secondary Education to take a principal position at MTEC. We library media specialists wish her the very best, but we will greatly miss her support to which we have become accustomed.

Another Successful Fair in the Books!

Despite the harsh weather Mother Nature threw at us, another successful book  fair concluded Monday, November 5 at Brookhaven Elementary.  The library raised about $1500 for new book and equipment.  Once again, I am extremely thankful for the support teachers, parents, students and the school administration gives our library.  It is most appreciated.

I have asked teachers what materials they will need to help them meet our new Next Generation standards.  Nonfiction to support our curriculum is a critical need that book fair funds can begin to address.  In addition, I have a very large wish list replete with titles I think will appeal to our avid readers.  

Finally, I would like to purchase a large screen TV for the library.  While at first glance this may seem extravagant and unnecessary, having a new television will enable us to better use the library for instruction and staff development activities.  I will be looking for a set with ample HDMI inputs that will allow us to use the television as a giant monitor.

Thanks to everyone, again, for your support!

Two Weeks Away!

The official back to school date for teachers is only two weeks away, on August 13, 2012.  I know all of our teachers at Brookhaven have been working hard to prepare for the new school year.  It's just one of the many things teachers do on their own time to help make the school year better for our students.  I am certain when I begin venturing back into the library I will find many teachers already there, preparing their classrooms for Day 1.


We have received about 250 new books so far for this school year.  Several are replacement titles for copies that have been worn out. An example of these is the Wimpy Kid and Harry Potter series.  Others represent new series that I hope you enjoy, including the Katie Wu books and Field Trip Mysteries.  New titles have been added to many old favorites, including Jake Maddox and Debbie Dadey titles.  Lots of sports biographies and pet books are also included in this year's selections.


Sad as it is to say, sometimes our students don't get the opportunity to come to the library each and every time they want new materials.  Hopefully our online titles will be beneficial to them.  TumbleBooks offers many books, quizzes, activities and even National Geographic videos.  FollettShelf offers readers more than 150 titles that are also all testable in Reading Counts. These ebooks can be opened on a computer, smartphone or  tablet operating iOS or Android 3.0 and higher. For the Destiny Quest app, go to Google Play or iTunes app store.

Help Decorate the Library with Our New Reading Theme

This year our Reading Counts theme is Blast Off into Reading.  Would you like to help decorate the library with stars and planets?


If you would, here's what you need to do:

1. Buy a package of foam craft balls.  These come in multiple sizes, so you have a lot of choice.  You can find these foam balls at Michael's or WalMart, among others.  You can also purchase these online.  
2. Next, pick out the paint color for your stars and planets. According to Kid's Astronomy stars are known to be blue, blue/white, white, white/yellow, yellow, orange and red.  The blue and blue/white stars are smaller but hotter than the others; The orange and red stars are the biggest but not as hot as the smaller stars.
3. Paint your planets and stars.
4. Plan on coming to the library on the evening of August 10 to hang your stars.
5. Get ready for a great year of reading!

These are the stars I painted today!

Why Your Child Should Read Nonfiction

When my oldest daughter was about five years old, she told me she wanted a book about dinosaurs. Utilizing my keen reference interview skills I asked her if she wanted a made-up story about dinosaurs or a book that contained facts about dinosaurs.  "Mommy," she said, using her hands to punctuate each word, "I want information!"

It has been my observation in the intervening years that most children prefer informational texts to the stories most adults choose to read to them.  Children are naturally curious about the world they inhabit and want to learn as much as they can about multiple topics.  We all should support them in their quests to be self-directed, lifelong learners, especially as reading for information is essential to life in a post k-12 environment.  National assessments have indicated that students in the United States are particularly weak in understanding informational texts.

The Common Core Standards, which have been adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia, will be fully implemented by the state of West Virginia in the next few years.  These standards recognize and address documented deficiencies in reading comprehension, particularly in the realm of informational sources. The text below outlines the expectations for students in grades k-12 according to these standards.

• The standards establish a “staircase” of increasing complexity in what students must be able to read so that all students are ready for the demands of college- and career-level reading no later than the end of high school. The standards also require the progressive development of reading comprehension so that students advancing through the grades are able to gain more from whatever they read.
• Through reading a diverse array of classic and contemporary literature as well as challenging informational texts in a range of subjects, students are expected to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspective. Because the standards are building blocks for successful classrooms, but recognize that teachers, school districts and states need to decide on appropriate curriculum, they intentionally do not offer a reading list. Instead, they offer numerous sample texts to help teachers prepare for the school year and allow parents and students to know what to expect at the beginning of the year.
• The standards mandate certain critical types of content for all students, including classic myths and stories from around the world, foundational U.S. documents, seminal works of American literature, and the writings of Shakespeare. The standards appropriately defer the many remaining decisions about what and how to teach to states, districts, and schools.

(Source:  Common Core State Standards Initiative: Key Points in English Language Arts,  accessed February 27, 2011.

Recommendations suggest that as children are younger, they will read more narrative (fiction) texts than informational texts.  However by the time children are in fourth grade the ratio on informational to fiction texts should be about 50-50.  By the time students are in high school, the ratio should should shift to 70 percent informational texts to 30 percent fiction.

For our library program, this means that informational texts will need to be provided on a wide spectrum of interest and reading levels.  The challenge will be to find books on dinosaurs that are developmentally appropriate and on varying levels of complexity for all students, grades pre-K to 5.  This is a challenge I can fully embrace!