What Public Librarians Need to Know about CCSS

Today I'm hosting a webcast, sponsored by LJ and SLJ, on what public librarians need to know about common core state standards. Since they've been around a while, they aren't as mysterious as they once were, but myths remain.

The Myths
1. CCSS are a mandate. Not true. The Standards are an initiative. Before they began, it was decided that kids weren't prepared for college or a "real job" after high school. Something needed to be done to push kids to learn more. Learn to write. Learn to think. What if each grade level built on the next? What if reading material got harder and harder? Enter the CCSS. Each state adopted and developed its own state standards. They aren't curriculum. They show the location of the finish line, but they don't tell teachers how to get their students to it. Educators have great flexibility in how they teach the standards, but it's another reason why it's scary.

2. Appendix B is a shopping list of books students must read. Also not true. In fact, if you tried to buy them, you'll find that many are out of print. Some of the science books are old enough to weed from your collection.  Appendix B is a list of example exemplars. They are the type of books that show increased rigor and text complexity needed to support CCSS.

As librarians, we then need to examine our own collections. Are they current? Do we have texts on the same topic but different reading levels? Do we know the reading level? While it's not necessary to mark them on the book, knowing how to find the level is a good support for your patrons. Perhaps you can add it to the MARC record. You can teach your patrons how to search the catalog by reading level. If you have access to teaching guides for texts, be sure your parents and teachers know about them.

3. Fiction is no longer needed. Seriously false. The Standards increase the use of nonfiction, but certainly don't discount the need for quality literature. It's like changing the way you eat to be more well-rounded. Perhaps you add more poultry and fish, but you don't have to completely give up steak.  By the time students are in grade 12, they should be reading 70% nonfiction. When you think about it, that's what the real world is like (unless you're like me and you read for a living).

Informational text is all around us--in our email, on the internet, and in our work. Reading for informational purposes is what adults do. Helping our students digest and think about what they read has always been our goal. Making a conscious decision to use nonfiction allows readers to learn more about their world. It's up to us to make sure they have access to the best.

So in today's webcast, we'll also address how to find the best texts, and look at ways our programming can support CCSS. It's not too late to join me. Sign up at SLJ.com. See you at 2:00 Eastern.

Build the Bridge

Tomorrow morning I am speaking at a local conference, The 21st Association of African American Educators. My topic- Using Digital Resources to Build Bridges. As educators we want to ensure our students have equal access to current, accurate materials- even beyond the bricks and mortar of the library.

What are these resources? Digital databases. Doing a “Google” search on ancient China, yields almost 11 million hits. Digital databases provide manageable results to a search. Remember when Pluto was demoted? The very next day, online encyclopedias had edited the entry and added one on dwarf planets. Databases provide reliable, updated information. Whether you’re at school, home or grandma’s in Texas, you have 24/7 access to information on varied reading levels with different modalities of learning.

In our workshop we will look at SDUSD’s one stop shopping site, Destiny, for digital resources. We will also look at the digital portal at the SD County Office of Education. And let’s not forget the public libraries. In San Diego, we have the Public Library and the County Library. Both of those organizations have digital databases and even ebooks for their patrons. If we are trying to build a bridge and bring resources to all students, we need to teach them to fish. Let’s be sure we remind them that after school, they can still use public libraries.

As teachers or librarians, there are several strategies we can use for integrating these digital resources. The first is to collaborate. If you are a teacher, contact your library staff about what resources are available in your library. Are they available outside the district? Do I need a password? Can they teach your staff or classes about how to use them? Work together with a specific curriculum standard and use the resources for a reason.

If you are library staff, make sure your administration, teachers, students and parents know about your digital resources. If you have district staff, perhaps they can make a presentation to the groups. One of the biggest parts of my current job is to do Destiny digital database presentations. I can do it in a 15 minute teaser or a two hour workshop. I even have an elevator talk.

What are other strategies educators can use to build the bridge with digital databases? Stay tuned. Tomorrow we’ll go a little further.

You Make a Commercial

What do you say when someone says why do I need to go to a database training? Last week, I was asked that question by more than one person. With a need, comes a solution. I needed an infommercial about our district one-stop-shopping source for all your digitial information needs- Destiny. So, at midnight on Friday, I grabbed my cell phone from the nightstand and recorded my thoughts. This morning, I made a little video. Too large to email, I created this post. Here is the text of the video. Perhaps you can use the bones of it to create your own infommercial.

Suppose you are a 6th grade student doing research on ancient China. You do a Google search and get 11 million hits. How are you supposed to know which site has the best answers?

Maybe you’re a classroom teacher. You have to teach a unit of inquiry and you just don’t have enough resources for content. You need differentiated texts.

Maybe you're a parent. You can’t afford to buy an encyclopedia every year and you don’t have the gas to drive to the public library after school closes.

Maybe you’re an administrator and you just want to level the playing field to ensure that everyone has equal access to the most current information.

We’re all busy. Isn’t there one place to go with all that information?

There is. I’m Deborah Ford, your resource librarian. The answer is one simple word. That word is Destiny. It’s available 24-7 and it goes beyond the bricks and mortar of your library.

Our district library catalog, Destiny, is more than a list of books. It’s one stop shopping for all your digital needs- from up to date encyclopedias to PDFs of magazine articles in databases, from vetted websites to readers’ theater scripts, you’ll find everything you need all at one website.

Want to know more about Destiny and the digital databases? Contact me, Deborah Ford, at Library Services to Schools. From a 15 minute overview that leaves you wanting more to a hands-on two hour workshop, you can find out how your library extends beyond the bricks and mortar with Destiny.

Oh! And you can find out what books you have in the collection too.