The Graphic Novel Project - 6th Grade

Earlier in the school year, I talked about a 6th grade project regarding getting new Graphic Novels for the library. So far, the project has been in the "gathering data" phase, but we are about ready to reach out for the next step.

Students surveyed 4th, 5th and 6th grade students to get ideas for what titles they would like us to add to the library. They also looked at publisher catalogs and Follett's Titlewave for suggestions. Finally, they assembled a list of titles that would come to roughly $900.

Our next step was to review our list using the following criteria:

• Do we have a good mix of boy characters and girl character?
• Do we have a good mix of interest levels?
• Do we have a good mix of reading levels?
• Should we buy every book in a series? If not, which titles should we buy?
• Are there any copyrights older than 3 years? If so, should we still purchase them?

They went from title to title and labeled them either "Must Have", "Nice to Have", or "Never mind." We now have our list compiled.

Hold the phone! One of the students just came hustling in today with the news that The Wings of Fire series by Tui Sutherland has now become a graphic novel. Is it too late to add it to the list? Frankly, it's the first time I've seen this particular student show actual enthusiasm. (Yeah!)

So, here's their list so far (without adding in Wings of Fire!). We meet tomorrow to plan our next steps, which will include deciding on our final "ask" and developing a presentation to make for the PTA to solicit funds for the project. Stay tuned ...

Habits Of Mind with an Innovator's Mindset

I find book study groups so exhilarating! Recently, a colleague and I read Habits of Mind Across the Curriculum and met three separate times to discuss the ideas that we were reading about. We have two very different jobs: she's the Transition to Kindergarten teacher and I'm the Teacher Librarian in the building and yet we were able to connect through this amazing text. That's the beauty of the Habits of Mind. They can be integrated into any classroom.

And there are plenty of overlaps between the Habits of Mind and George Couros' "Eight Things to Look for in Today's Classroom." 


In fact, some of the Habits of Mind are the very building blocks of innovation: thinking flexibly, taking responsible risks, persisting, thinking about your thinking, applying past knowledge to new situations and questioning and posing problems. If you can teach these habits to students, they are more likely to embrace an innovator's mindset.

Being a librarian, I have the opportunity to see the same students year after year. Why not start focusing on the Habits of Mind during library? Choose a focus (one or two habits) for each grade level and then build on from year to year. For example, Listening with Empathy and Understanding is a habit that a lot of our younger students need to develop. So, I'm going to start working on this with my 2nd grade students. If all goes well, I will introduce it into my first grade library time later this spring. 

Anyone out there have any advice on integrating the Habits of Mind in the library? I'm anxious to hear what others are doing in this area.   

The Passion Projects - 4th Grade

In a previous post, I made the following statement: First up: I'm totally changing what my fourth graders will be doing this year in the library. This led to the introduction of Passion Projects. I meet with this group of students once a week, so I knew it was going to take awhile to unfold.

We started with a list of ideas that the students had brainstormed at the end of last year of what they wanted to be able to do in the library. Then, as a group, we discussed those ideas and added anything else we could think of at the time. Here's our list.

The next step was to set an individual goal. I didn't want kids writing a goal just so they could work with another student. I wanted them to choose something that was important to them. So each student filled out the sheet with what they wanted to accomplish. I must confess, I was a little disappointed that most of the students seem to pick the same thing. I was hoping for a wider variety of interests ... but that might come at a future date.

After I read through all the goals, the students were able to talk to others in their class and discuss whether they wanted to team up with someone else. And together, they filled out what they felt their "Action Steps" would be (see link here)

Every week, when they come into the library they have the choice of working on their project or just checking out and heading back to class. This has made for fewer discipline issues for students who would rather just "mess around" and not work. Students also fill out a project reflection at the end of each 40-minute work session, indicating what they accomplished and any questions or problems they have encountered.

Blogging about the library	Researching Tigers
Creating a Book Trailer for younger students	Creating a Website for their fictional Character