NCHS library news 2015-2016 January 15, 2016 Follow us! You don’t have to have a Twitter account to follow us. To learn about library learning, just click the Twitter tile on the nchslibrary.info website, and you can see our latest tweets. Every month, we update our post chronology in Storify , a social media aggregator. We set up a schedule (on Buffer) to release our Tweets on a set schedule 8:30AM, 11:02AM, and 2:05PM.
Workshops The library offered research workshops during January 48 lunch periods to help 9th, 10th, and 11th grade English students improve their work before handing it in. All the main research checkpoints were covered in the workshops, including research questions, works cited, thesis statements, and evidence. The shared computer display and the use of Google Docs for editing facilitated group discussion and learning. 3D Printer The 3D printer is up and running. We made an earbud holder this week. We have many files ready to print. Please ask one of our Techxperts to teach you how to print a 3D object. Choice Book Creations & Presentations Ms. Weeks (@MsAWeeks on Twitter) scheduled time in the library makerspace for her Language, Literature, and Composition (10th grade English) classes to create, and then present, visual representations of either theme or character development in the choice books they had read in December. Their projects were imaginative and their presentations were impressive. Research Exit Survey At the start of second semester, students will receive a research survey to collect feedback on research learning, library services
and resources. We look forward to incorporating student responses into library program enhancements. Charging Stations The library now has three charging stations. There are two in the lower library, and one in The Big History Read section. For safety’s sake, we ask students to avoid moving them. It is best to keep the floor clear of cables and other obstacles. Jr. Research Paper As 11th grade students hand in their first semester English research paper, United States history teachers are planning instruction for the second semester history research paper. The library program serves as the learning bridge between the two benchmark assessments. In collaborative meetings, we explain what was covered, what we’ve seen in student work, and what needs instructional emphasis. We look forward to working with teachers and students to make this a successful experience for all involved. Media Lab in Action 10th grade students made great use of the green screen in this Percy Jackson book trailer . Students are invited to use the media lab for both class and club projects. As this video demonstrates, the green screen provides new opportunities for creative outlet. Music in the library A compact disk collection was donated to the library. We are in the process of adding nearly 400 sound recordings to the collection. It will take some time. Until then, you can ask to borrow disks at the circulation desk. Robots & circuits We have new items in the makerspace including Cubelets, a Mip robot, Sphero, LittleBits, Lego Mindstorm, and Raspberry Pi. Starting second semester, we will host makerspace workshops on these using these resources, and other creative activities during lunch on Wednesdays.
Music & Copyright Anna Moody’s Music Tech students discussed and debated sampling, copyright, and “fair use,” after listening to mashups of familiar songs and reviewing “fair use” exemptions. Questions debated included: ● When do you need permission to sample others’ music? ● Is digital music sampling an act of creativity or criminality? ● What do JayZ, Pharrell, Sam Smith, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd and Taylor Swift have in common? Somewhat Virtual Book Club #SWVBC Somewhat Virtual Book Club is the NCHS Library book discussion group. Our NCHS club generally meets facetoface, schedules permitting (we meet virtually if we can’t get to school). At our meeting, we connect virtually with schools in five other states (and now maybe on in Japan!?!) using Google Hangouts to discuss a preselected book. Here’s what our Rosemary O’Neill had to say about participating in the club last year. Our next book is Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. The discussion will take place on February 3rd at 6PM in the library. Subscribe!
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December 18, 2015 3D Printer : We have a 3D printer! Students who want to print can locate an .stl file, then download the Cubify Print App (IOS, Windows and Mac) to send their file to the printer. Students who wish to design, can do so using AutoCAD, or use the designated desktop in the Techxpert hub outside of lab A and design objects using Kubotek Key Creator . LittleBits: Our LittleBits arrived as well! Within ten minutes of opening the carton, students were connecting circuits and experimenting with different combinations. A brief video interview posted to Twitter went like this: Librarian: How much experience do you have with this? Student: None Librarian: And how long have you been working on it? Student: About a minute
Librarian: And what’s it doing? Student: [Demonstrates for librarian] Librarian: So you built a circuit. Student: Pretty much. Librarian:In a minute. Student: Yup. Librarian: Cool! Student: Yup. Media Lab: Students from classes across disciplines including English, Health, and World Languages have been using the media lab to create video content. Students collaborate to divvy up their projects into small tasks and streamline workflow by capitalising on individual strengths. Who knew homework could be this much fun! Twitter feed: We aggregated our 201252016 Tweets using an online tool called Storify . It chronicles four months of library learning, and we update it regularly. Please check it out! Flickr Photos: Students have been watching the 20152016 NCHS Library Flickr photo album grow as we progress through the year. It is displayed in a scrolling slide show on our library website at nchslibrary.info Subscribe!
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December 2, 2015 Media lab The library media lab is open for business! Students can use the green screen & lighting equipment to film projects for class (or just for fun). Students may borrow library laptops to edit projects. The media lab is available on a first come, first serve basis to anyone who needs it, and it is open after school as long as the library is
open. Here is the link to the video produced when this photo was taken. Maker Guides The NCHS Techxperts are going to take turns introducing new tools in the makerspace. Someone will be on hand to introduce at least one new idea per day. Be sure to check the schedule, and this is not limited to Techxperts! Anyone can facilitate a learning session. Students, and parents are welcome! Research Bootcamp Ms. Rothschild’s 9th grade Global History I students participated in a two day “research bootcamp”. They were assigned a specific feature of Ancient Greek civilization, and asked to explain it to the class in under one minute (filmed!). To learn about their civilization, they were tasked with finding three database or eBook resources and cite them. In a debrief following the experience, students said they enjoyed the following aspects of this exercise: ● We all got our own topics ● Good insight into Greek civilization ● Each topic led to the next ● Fun way to learn a lot fast ● Good for research ● We got to make it our own ● Oneminute presentations ● Independent learning ● Simplicity of the task ● Teaching what we knew ● Transforming notes into paragraphs ● Was nice to present with notes ● Was able to learn more indepth information ● Students assigned the same topics focused on different things Making learning As the juniors begin working on their research papers, they are discovering new strategies to create their own statistical analysis using interactive databases, such as Statista , Social Explorer , and Roper iPoll . Many classes discovered why OPED articles are called OPED by using print newspapers. This lesson will help learners distinguish between objective
and subjective journalism when using online news media for research and help them to embed references properly. Ethical Use Photography students explore intellectual property (Copyright & Fair Use) and the use of online bibliographic generation toolsEasyBib. Students research “text” on a noted photographer using a variety of NCHS library resources such as Grove Art History Online. Art History & Research The Drawing Class was given an art history introduction to Photorealism Hyperrealism, as well as how to research and find background information on a particular art movement. Subscribe!
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November 12, 2015 Research model NCHS librarians have been working with district curriculum leaders and K8 librarians to align research models from kindergarten through twelfth grade. This will help learners recognize and build upon prior research knowledge as they move through their academic career at NCPS. Texting services As often as possible, NCHS library responds to texted queries from students. Learners may text their reference questions to (615) 669 6670.
Librarians learn what students do not know through these exchanges which helps to inform instruction, avoiding overteaching, and targeting real learning gaps. It provides learners with personalized instructional support as well. An analysis of texted exchanges between librarians 9th graders working on the “Museum Project” a formative assessment involving several phases of inquiry revealed that students were deeply appreciative of this service. Sandwiched between “PM” and “AM” (143 messages were sent in the afternoon/evening hours as opposed to 21 in the morning hours), was the word “Thank”, which appeared 26 times in approximately 80 student messages. What follows are the number of instances in which each of the following words appeared in student inquiries. EasyBib 14
Password 13
eBook 12
Book 10
Destiny (catalog) 9
Artifact 8
Thesis 8
Database 8
Magazines The library now offers digital magazines that can be downloaded to mobile devices. To access these periodicals, teachers and students may log into the NCHS Library database page and scroll down to Flipster. To read online periodicals, it is recommended (but not required) that students add the free Flipster app to their mobile devices. Crowd sourced keywords Ms. Goldhawk’s ninth grade social studies students created a crowdsourced spreadsheet of alternative keywords for P.E.R.S.I.A.+ G.T. (see below) to expand their repertoire of search terms for their research on classical civilizations. Six other 9th grade sections are now using the spreadsheet as a resource to guide their own learning. This is a great example of studentdirected learning. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Politics Economics Religion Social Intellectual Aesthetic/Arts Geography Technology
Newspaper Publishers Librarians added a much needed resource to THE ANNEX@ , the library’s humanities instructional portal. In the top left corner, learners will find > A click on “Who published that newspaper?” will lead visitors to information that will help students cite newspapers correctly.
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October 30, 2015
To promote deeper reading in social studies, 9th graders were introduced to new research strategies. In their history courses, students are frequently challenged to examine historical eras through the lens of P.E.R.S.I.A.+ G.T. (politics, economics, religion, social, intellectual, aesthetic, geography, and technology). In a lesson entitled, “ Don’t Search for P.E.R.S.I.A.+G.T.! ”, students practiced extracting these themes from informational texts rather than incorporating the category names into their searches. This strategy will help learners increase their search result relevance and help them progress from exploration to investigation to analysis to creation as they research. Using a word cloud crafted from 9th grade responses to an open ended “What did you learn from this lesson?” exit ticket, we compiled a list of verbs students used to describe research. This activity help model the power of informational crowdsourcing for learners, and helped them better understand the research process. Identify Search Find
Read Understand Think
Look Analyze Interpret
Classify Sort Show
Christina Russo, librarian copresented with Cathy Swan at CECA/CASL (Connecticut Educators Computer Association/Connecticut Association of School Librarians) Conference Your Library is the Answer: Relevance for Tech Savvy Learners.
The STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) librarian demonstrated the W.I.S.E.R. (wonder, investigate, synthesize, express, review) research model, as well as APA bibliographic method with the Individual & Family Development students, a course taught in conjunction with the University of Connecticut. Each student developed a research question, identified keywords, and designed an effective, advanced research strategy to locate and evaluate current, relevant, accurate information on her/his topic of inquiry. Somewhat Virtual Book Club Will meet on November 4th to discuss Laurie Halse Anderson’s The Impossible Knife of Memory . Dorman High School, in Roebuck, South Carolina will facilitate the discussion. The club meets facetoface and connects via Google Hangouts with six schools in four other states (California, Oregon, South Carolina, New Jersey) and the American School in Japan!
The drama’s set design crew started using the NCHS library makerspace after school to design and create sets for the upcoming Lion King production, and they recruited a few new members in the process.
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October 15, 2015 In preparation for library booktalks with her Language Literature and Composition classes, Ms. Deambrosio surveyed her students about their reading preferences. Librarians found student responses most helpful for matching titles with student interests. Dystopian fiction is still a favorite, followed by fantasy, realism, and historical fiction. Forty nine percent of respondents said they enjoyed reading, while 37% said they had not recently found a book they liked. Nearly 500 library books, excluding textbooks, were circulated in the past month. The library set up a Moodle course for each graduating class. Within those courses, students are organized into course sections (as groups). As learners work through various research tasks across disciplines, they will upload and receive feedback on checkpoint assignments, such as research questions, works cited, thesis statements, and outlines. This course setup will help The STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) librarian demonstrated the WISER (wonder, investigate, synthesize, express, review) research model, as well as APA bibliographic method with the Individual & Family Development students, a course taught in conjunction with the University of Connecticut. Each
student developed a research questions, identified keywords, and designed an effective, advanced research strategy to locate current, relevant, accurate information on her/his topic of inquiry.
students document their research learning as they move through their high school career. The ninth graders are learning how to use print books for research. Using tables of contents and indices challenges learners to think critically about research tasks, research questions and keywords. While it might be a given that navigating a book is second nature to millennial ninth grader, we are finding that it is not. The “book lesson” is available on the library’s YouTube channel . Somewhat Virtual Book Club met on October 7th to discuss Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You The Sun via Google Hangouts with six schools in four other states (California, Oregon, South Carolina, New Jersey) and the American School in Japan! Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, CA facilitated the discussion and challenged participants to answer thoughtprovoking questions. The club will next meet on November 4th at 6PM in the high school library to discuss Laurie Halse Anderson’s The Impossible Knife of Memory . Dorman High School, in Roebuck, South Carolina will facilitate the discussion. During the summer of 2016, EasyBib, the online citation tool used at Saxe and New Canaan High School, will be sunsetted. EasyBib repackaged the citation generator with course management software, research skill building tools, and close reading aides in Imagine Easy Scholar . The library launched a free trial to pilot with the ninth grade class through December. The library collection’s iPad 1s and iPad 2s will be replaced next week with iPad Airs. Approximately 25 devices will be available for checkout. As part of a 10 month roll out plan , the library introduced the Take Apart station to its makerspace this week. On the first day, students disassembled a television set and two hard drives. Learners are devising systems to organize and repurpose these materials. Donations (unwanted computers and electronics) are welcome!
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September 23, 2015 On Tuesday, we will set up a Banned Books Week (9/2710/4) table in the library makerspace to promote discourse around intellectual freedom. Many classes are starting their second round of book talks. We are deeply grateful to our colleagues who make time to promote independent reading for our learners, and to our students
who seem to enjoy the new lowvolume reading section of the library. For the librarians, it is a wonderful booktalking space! The ninth graders started their My Personal Wellness project. They have been learning how to evaluate websites for research. Ask them about the C.R.A.A.P. (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose) test. The acronym helps them remember criteria they should use to assess the merit of a web resource. Subscribe!
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September 10, 2015 We streamlined the print collection over the summer improving its currency by five years. and removed 16 bookshelves over the summer, freeing extra room for students. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We want to be a more inclusive facility, meaning that we want all NCHS learners to feel comfortable coming to the library to do work, so we designated specific areas for different kinds of learning. We attached a rudimentary sketch to illustrate. ● The upper level will be innovation centered. Students there will be creating things. As we said earlier, we want to involve you in that shift. ● The middle library (the center of "the ring") is dedicated to collaborative work. The "8 to a table" rule is even more critical now because the space is compact, so it must be adhered to. ● The "quiet zone" (where the study carrels are located) is still just that: a space for silent study. ● The lower library (near the windows) is now designated for lowvolume independent work. We moved the fiction collection to that area along with almost all the lounge furniture. Students there are expected to read quietly or work quietly with just one partner. This was missing in prior years, and it will be a welcome addition to the many students who sought an "inbetween" space not quite the quiet zone, but not the unquiet zone (the rest of the library until now) either. When you arrive at the library this year, please give some thought to how you want to spend your time. Do you want to work on something specific? Read quietly? Let your imagination drive your learning? Or work with friends? Answers to those questions should help you determine where to sit. So it can be said that our new motto is "Think before you sit!" Ryan McGough’s reply was my favorite: “I just wanted to respond to your email because I really like the new setup! I've always liked the quietness of the quiet zone as well as the loud social aspect of the tables, but you're totally
right about there needing to be an "inbetween" space. The new lower library is a fantastic idea!!”
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Launched Junior research Three junior classes started working on the early stages of their English research paper, which gave us a chance to review the research continuum , resource evaluation, and how to move from exploratory to investigative, to analytical research phases (including a few lessons on resource evaluation). This was a welcome change in scheduling for us. We typically start closer to Thanksgiving break. Makerspace We are thrilled to have added a makerspace to the library! We are growing it in baby steps introducing one activity at a time. The Techxpert involvement is important, as is general student input. We surveyed students about the new area. One respondent said, “I really like it! It's something new and very creative and has a ton of potential“. Admittedly, there were a few snarky responses as well, and only 24 responses overall. We are thinking of reframing our Teen Advisory Group’s (TAG) mission to focus on promoting innovation, rather than promoting reading. We can reassign the reading mission to our Somewhat Virtual Book Club (see below). Reading During the first 10 days of school, we facilitated booktalks with 10 classes, and circulated 622 studentselected books for independent reading. Thus far, The Martian by Andy Weir is the hottest book of the year. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer comes in second place. Since film adaptations of both books will soon be released, we are planning unofficial outings to see the movies these are not schoolsponsored events, but rather coordinated student outings where librarians occasionally show up ;). I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson come in close behind, which is exciting as it the October selection for Somewhat Virtual Book Club. Somewhat Virtual Book Club is the NCHS Library book discussion group. Our NCHS club generally meets facetoface, schedules permitting (we meet virtually if we can’t get to school). At our meeting, we connect virtually with schools in five other states (and now maybe on in Japan!?!) using Google Hangouts to discuss a preselected book. Here’s what our Rosemary O’Neill had to say about participating in the club last year. Town library connection After another great summer of seamlessly integrated services for New Canaan learners, we started the 20152016 with an active book exchange. As of today, we are circulating 45 New Canaan Library books that were sent to the high school via interoffice mail within hours of student requests. Lauren Phillips, the acquisitions manager at New Canaan Library, sent over her annual report on the summer reading books we lent to the town library. Her summary follows: “ 198 NCHS books spent the summer at the NC Library. Starting in the last week of June, these books were checked out 265 times and renewed 191 times, for total circulation of 456. 44 are still checked out today and will be making their way back home as they are returned...Thanks for another great reading list and another great summer collaboration!”
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Databases This was shared with faculty at the close of the first week:
We have several new databases, but we want to highlight Statista, which was requested by an 11th grader last year. We added it to the database page on our l ibrary website http://nchslibrary.info (database page access is UN: nchsct PW: library). As you might expect, Statista presents demographic and economic information that students can reorganize and present in a variety of embeddable formats. There are limitless applications for this resource across disciplines. We'll be glad to give you a personalized tour, and/or help your students learn how to use it. As you may remember, most of our databases and eBooks are crosssearchable using the search widget at the top of the database page (d atabase page access is UN: nchsct PW: library). Here is a tutorial from last year. This tool also generates bibliographic citations that can be exported to EasyBib with the click of a button.
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Digital magazines We now subscribe to 10 digital magazines that students can download to their own mobile devices through the Flipster app . While Flipster is currently only tablet ready, the phone version is due out shortly. Parent volunteers We are deeply grateful to Kristen O’Connor who has been our parent volunteer coordinator for five years. We now have over 40 parent volunteers, most of whom work for 90 minute shifts every two weeks. This allows the library to continue circulating textbooks a very popular service among students and teachers. Techxpert hub To make room for a media lab experience, we are currently rethinking our use of office space for ICT and library personnel. We are open to suggestions! Parent donations for makerspace? We are hoping to start collecting donated resources from New Canaan families for our makerspace. Many students have shared that they have large Lego collections they are willing to bring in. We will reach out to Kristen O'Connor to spread the word.
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