BIS Library Media Centre Annual Report June 2018
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Teaching & Learning
Totaling the statistics this year, we were quite pleased in the final number of lessons taught. There were a total of 619 lessons recorded, with a split of approximately ⅔ for primary and ⅓ for secondary. This is a much better balance than in years previous. The rise in librarian-led lessons for primary students increased proportionally with the rise in enrollment, while the significant increase in secondary lessons is the result of hard work, a special orientation session for new staff, implementation of the newly adopted BIS Research Process, and the librarians actively working toward the goal to collaboratively plan, teach, and evaluate a minimum of one unit per secondary grade level subject. While we did not work with every subject, we came far closer than in previous years and will continue to work toward this in future years.
The breakdown of the librarians’ time is appropriately balanced, with over 50% spent planning/teaching and about 30% on administrative tasks such as ordering and cataloging books. The remaining 20%, spent on clerical tasks, could be used for collaborating in secondary department meetings (only 2 were attended this year) or additional teaching lessons, if a morning clerk position is reinstated.
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Trends in lesson content and how the library space is utilised indicate a good balance in grades EL through 10. The librarians are pleased to see a greater number of primary lessons taking place in classrooms as well as in the library, but they continue to wrestle with the question of how to best engage with DP students. After the welcome orientation, DP students primarily use the library independently, and lessons for grades 11-12 were most frequently taught during tutor periods rather than as support to classroom instruction.
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Implementing the BIS Research Process
The BIS Research Process was developed by a team of primary and secondary teachers at the end of the 2016-17 school year. New teachers were first acquainted with the BIS RPM during induction week, and later all primary and secondary staff were introduced to the history of its development and how to implement it at staff meetings. Development of the program has been varied: regular collaboration took place between the librarians and primary teachers at PYP meetings, a series of Tuesday Tech and Treats looked at how the library could be involved in each step, sets of posters with the icons were provided for classroom walls, and teachers developed and shared additional materials via Google Drive. While collaboration took place across the grades and in most subject areas, there was a particular focus on the process in Grades 3- 6 and in the MYP subjects of Science and I&S. It was an integral part of the process for students working on Exhibition, Personal Project, and Extended Essay this year. Students have demonstrated a good understanding of the steps as well as how the use of evaluation can help drive their progress. Looking forward, the librarians would like to spend more time on the Find and Select steps, helping students learn to choose the best resources for their tasks.
Grade 6 students research hominids.
Using database resources.
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Grade 8 student has finished information gathering and cuts her notefacts apart.
Grade 7 student taking handwritten notes in his own words.
After cutting, it’s time to sort and synthesize information from a variety of sources.
Grade 4 students can organize information too!
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Hänsel & Gretel
The Hänsel and Gretel Readers’ Choice Award is an initiative begun in 2014 by librarians in several international schools in Germany. Sixteen nominee books are selected in the spring of each year. Grades 3 through 6 students in participating schools vote in an elimination tournament with three rounds of voting to select the years' Hänsel and Gretel Readers’ Choice Award. The goals of the award are to: ● Build excitement around reading ● Generate readership for new, well reviewed titles (authors) ● Empower students with a visible sign that their opinions matter ● Broaden students’ reading selections ● Create a sense of community within German international schools BIS had 43 participants in grades 3-5 who helped select the 2017-18 winning title: The 13-story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths.
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Student Helpers
Primary The “Minion” program continued as students in grades 3-5 submitted applications and attended two voluntary training sessions during their recess times. Selected students were each assigned one morning recess per week to come help in the Media Centre. Their tasks included straightening adopted shelves as well as scanning books, creating displays, watering plants, cleaning keyboards and computer screens, and the beloved “spy” duty - looking under bookshelves for misplaced items. Minions ended their year with a celebratory pizza party and a reminder to volunteer next year. We love the help! Secondary Our student helper program expanded as students in secondary grades (6-12) volunteered their free time to help in the Media Centre. Some students dedicated several lunch periods each week for a few weeks while others donated a free period for the duration of the year. All help was welcome as students took care of tasks like labeling books in a series, finding books without copyright dates in the online catalog, and preparing shelves for end of year inventory.
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International School Library Month
Book Character/Historical Figure Dress Up Day is always a favorite during IASLM!
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Patrick Jennings Author Visit
Guinea Dog by Patrick Jennings was the #1 favorite Hänsel and Gretel book for 2016-17 at BIS and the second place overall winner in Germany. Our students were thrilled to meet their beloved author, spend some time drafting stories together, and have everything from books to paper napkins autographed. Mr. Jennings, a former teacher himself, dedicated his entire day to the students, chatting with students between bites of lunch and using his “down time” for one-on-one visits. In preparation for his visit, students and teachers read both the Guinea Dog series as well as some of Patrick’s other books, such as My Homework Ate My Homework and Odd, Weird, and Little. One student even proclaimed the day of his visit was “the best day EVER!”
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BIS Top Ten
Picture Books
Circulations Title Author 30 - My New Friend is so Fun! by Mo Willems 29 - Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great by Bob Shea 24 - Only One You by Linda Kranz 22 - I Really Like Slop! by Mo Willems 21 - Dino-Soccer by Lisa Wheeler 21 - Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems 20 - I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems 18 - Dino-Hockey by Lisa Wheeler 18 - I am Invited to a Party! by Mo Willems 18 - LEGO Star Wars: Darth Maul’s Mission by Ace Landers
Primary Fiction
Secondary Fiction
Circulations Title Author 54 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the Long Haul by Jeff Kinney 40 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck b y Jeff Kinney 32 - The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths* 31 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal by Jeff Kinney 29 - Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants by Dav Pilkey 25 - Danger! Tiger Crossing by Lin Oliver* 24 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney 24 - The Wild Robot by Peter Brown* 24 - Guinea Dog by Patrick Jennings 22 - The 52-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths *Hänsel & Gretel Readers’ Choice titles
Circulations Title Author 13 - The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 12 - Mockingjay b y Suzanne Collins 11 - The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan 10 - Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 10 - The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan 9 - The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan 9 - Allegiant by Veronica Roth 7 - The 5th Wave by Richard Yancey 7 - Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie 7 - Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
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Goals The mission of the BIS Library Media Centre is to promote a love of reading, inspire lifelong learning, and develop the abilities to effectively locate, evaluate, and use information.
Progress toward 2017-18 Goals
Goals for 2018-19
Promote a Love of Reading
Increased conversations about books among and between students, staff, and parents ○ Began BIS “PD on the Beach” voluntary reading of selected titles: The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller and Growth Mindset by Carol S. Dweck ● Included bi-weekly book reviews in Newsflash and/or grade level blogs ○ 12 reviews in Dragon’s Den student bulletin, 13 reviews in Staff Announcements, and 11 in Newsflash for parents ○ A modest increase in circulation of mentioned titles was noted ● Participated in Hänsel & Gretel Readers’ Choice Award ●
Promote a Love of Reading ●
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Inspire Lifelong learning
Inspire Lifelong learning
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Expanded library helper program to secondary ○ Student helper program continued in grades 3-5 with 15 students and expanded to include 11 in grades 6-12 Continued Tuesday Tech & Treats ○ Hosted 14 sessions Hosted author Patrick Jennings ○ Visited 25 May 2018 Bethany Walk attended The Role of the Librarian, an IB Category 3 workshop Moved publication of Annual Media Centre report to GoogleDocs
Develop the abilities to effectively locate, evaluate, and use information ● ● ● ●
Implemented BIS Research Process Model across the grades Developed student abilities to identify information need and locate appropriate materials Collaborated with each grade/subject on a minimum of one unit Reviewed BIS Academic Honesty Policy
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“Year of the Book” campaign to increase discussions about books and expand reading selections Expand/continue BIS Reads faculty reading club Include book reviews in Newsflash and/or grade level blogs written by staff and students as well as librarians Resume BIS Book Bus Expand role of volunteers Re-evaluate/restructure Tuesday Tech & Treats program by conducting survey in August to learn teachers’ needs Cindy Rogers will attend an IB workshop
Develop the abilities to effectively locate, evaluate, and use information ●
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Continue implementation on Select step this year - helping students identify and evaluate the best resource for the task Collaborate with all grades/subjects on a minimum of one unit Increase collaboration through targeted and intentional coplanning and coteaching of lessons in secondary and by increasing number of team meetings attended.