Assignment Brainstorming



Core Collection Assignment Brainstorming Jean Trimble

Selection and Composition of Core Reference Collection:

What is the youth population my reference collection will serve?

My reference collection will serve grades K-5 Elementary School children in an Ohio public school district. The ages of the students will range from five to twelve years of age. The area will consist of middle to upper-middle class residents where there is a fairly large tax base. The schools typically employ one teacher for every 25 students. If the elementary school is one of the district’s magnet schools, there will be a fairly low English as a Learned Language population.

What variety of resources do I need for the patrons of my reference collection?

Consider age level, availability of technology, budget, free or paid subscription, support schoolwork…

I will use print ready-reference materials that are easily accessible to students. They will be located on the reference shelf within close proximity (no more than 15 feet) from the reference desk. I will also use digital resources available via the Internet. I will ask for input from administration, teachers, and students about what other subscriptions (if any) I should purchase. Considering the academic content standards, curriculum, and teacher need, I will include various audio-visual materials in the collection. As stated in our class readings (Chapter 6) “Audiovisual materials create opportunities for youngsters to engage with information and materials that may be inaccessible in a text format.” I also think fun items like board games and manipulatives (flash cards, dice, magna tiles, etc.) will make the library the “go to” place for students – especially when they have indoor recess.

What kind of technology is available to support the use of online resources?

The library will have at least three computers for children to use to access the online resources. These computers will have high-speed Internet connections. On these computers, the online resources will be accessible from the desktop by simply clicking an icon. The online resources will also be available on the home page of the library’s website. The students will be able to access these resource links via the Internet from anywhere (e.g. home, public library, school computer lab, etc.). Sufficient training will be provided on all of the resources to both teachers and students. Additional information will be sent home with the students so parents have knowledge and understanding about how to use the available resources.

I will include the following print materials in my core collection:

|Webster's New World Children's |This dictionary is meant for younger students. There is a pronunciation key located at the front|

|Dictionary. 2 ed. New York: |of the book. There are also instructions on how to use the dictionary. The words are in large |

|Webster's New World, 1999. Print.|print type and images are included for a lot of words. The back of the book has an atlas section|

| |and also information on weights and measures, Presidents of the U.S., and an album of the states |

| |(including state flags, birds, and flowers). |

|The American Heritage Dictionary |This dictionary is for the older students. It is definitely more comprehensive and complete than|

|of the English Language. Thumb |the Children’s Dictionary. It has a thumb index that makes it easy for students to flip to the |

|Indexed ed. Boston: Houghton |first letter of the word they are seeking. There are images located in the outside margins on |

|Mifflin, 2000. Print. |all of the pages. The very back page shows a diagram of the Indo-European family of languages, |

| |which is very interesting. This book also has some unique features, for example under the word |

| |“currency”, students will find a currency table listed by country. |

|Scholastic Atlas of the World |The following description was taken from the Scholastic website: “With more than 80 maps, |

| |hundreds of color photographs, and thousands of statistics, this important reference will enrich |

| |and expand a child's view of every country in the world. Topographical maps clearly locate |

| |important cities, mountains, deserts, and bodies of water, and indicate border countries and |

| |national capitals. Essays describing the culture and geography of each country are accompanied by|

| |photographs that take readers on a visual journey.” |

|World Almanac |A collection of facts |

|World Book Encyclopedia |I will buy a full set of encyclopedias. |

|Miller, Millie. |This is a great, illustrated book that provides facts about all of the countries of the world. |

|Country-by-country Guide (Our |The last few pages show flags of the world |

|World). Cincinnati: Scholastic | |

|Reference, 2006. | |

|Phonics Fun (Interactive |This book teaches all about the sounds that make words. See the picture, say its name and spell |

|Learning: Lift a Flap) |the word with the flip cards. Then lift the flaps to check. Student learns how different sounds|

|(Lift-A-Flap). Illinois: |make new words. |

|Publications International, 2003.| |

|I Can Spell (Lift-A-Flap). |This is a sturdy and colorful book that teaches young minds how to spell. Flip the alphabet |

|Illinois: Publications |cards to spell the pictures hidden behind the flaps. Lift the flaps to check the spelling. |

|International, 2003. | |

|Inc, Scholastic. Science Fair |This book has great illustrations and photos and is easy for Elementary-aged children to |

|Make It Work (Make-it-work!). |understand. It gives detailed instructions for various science fair projects dealing with space,|

|UNKNOWN: Random House~Childrens, |Earth, machines and structures, plants and sounds. |

|Buggin' With Ruud (Animal |This is a great book that gives numerous bug facts, provides Q&A, and asks questions of the |

|Planet). ?: Animal Planet, 2007. |reader along the way. |

|Burnie, David, and Don E. Wilson.|This is an amazing book of images and information! It includes a great table of contents; The |

|Animal: The Definitive Visual |book is sectioned off by habitats, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and |

|Guide to the World's Wildlife. |invertebrates. The back of the book includes a glossary and a full index that would be extremely|

|1st ed. New York: DK ADULT, 2001.|beneficial when teaching students information literacy skills. |

|Print. | |

|Malin, David. The Invisible |This large book includes a glossary of terms and amazing photographs of constellations and |

|Universe. 1st ed. New York: I B S|galaxies. |

|Books Stocked, 1999. Print. | |

|Allen, Judy, Richard Hook, John |This is a fun book that tells everything you need to know about fairies, nymphs, unicorns, elves,|

|Howe, and Jonathon Stroud. |and all other wonderful fantasy creatures! It includes amazing illustrations, a glossary, and a |

|Fantasy Encyclopedia. New York: |full index. |

|Kingfisher, 2005. Print. | |

|Dungworth, Richard. Pop-up Facts |I love this book. Because it is a pop-up, I would definitely not allow it to be circulated. The|

|Human Body (Pop-Up Facts Series).|pop-up features makes it very engaging. There are little tabs to pull, doors to open, and |

|UK: Backpack Books, 2007. Print. |brainteasers on every page. The text is age appropriate and it is designed for elementary-aged |

| |students. |

|Wild Wild World (Children's |This is a fun book that has a great index in the back. It is a “fascinating question and answer |

|Reference). Bath: Parragon |book featuring the world’s most dangerous and exciting animals.” This hardbound book includes |

|Publishing, 2003. Print. |fantastic images and interesting tidbits of information about exotic animals. |

Resources that I will use to find these quality materials (as well as audio-visual and manipulatives) include:

|Follett Library Resources | |

| |The First Choice catalog lists the best of the best in regards to new titles released. The |

| |titles are reviewed and compiled into this downloadable book. The titles are specifically geared|

| |towards the elementary school level. |

| | |

| |I will also use Follett Titlewave to maintain an ongoing “wish list” and order needed titles |

| |throughout the year. Titlewave will be “tied into” my library inventory so I will know when I |

| |already have a similar title on the shelf. |

|Scholastic Classroom and Library | On this website I can search for books (like atlas’, |

| |dictionaries, and encyclopedias) by Dewey Decimal number. I can qualify my search by publication|

| |date, or do a keyword search. |

|World Book | |

| |This website has over 60 choices in encyclopedias alone! |

|Library Video Company | |

| |I will use this resource to find some great videos for the reference collection. I will consult |

| |with the teachers to determine what they feel the need is based on the academic standards and |

| |curriculum. |

|Glannon, Ann. Kits, Games, and |I will use this book to locate fun and interesting games, kits, and manipulatives for the |

|Manipulatives for the Elementary |library. |

|School Classroom : A Source Book | |

|(Source Books on Education). 1 | |

|ed. New York: Routledge, 1993. | |

|Print. | |

There is no reason to reinvent the wheel. Therefore, I will tap into the online resources already available through the local public libraries: (WPL), and (CML). I will encourage all students to obtain a library card from these institutions so they have access to all of the available resources. Library cards are free and are a necessary tool in every child’s tool kit – equally important as students having pencils and paper. I will coordinate times with the local libraries to come directly to the school (maybe on orientation night) to help sign students up for a library card. I will express the importance of this to all parents, teachers, and students.

Resources that I will promote (via pathfinders and face-to-face training sessions) and include in my core collection from local public libraries:

|ERIC EBSCOHost available on both |ERIC (Education Resource Information Center) is the world’s largest digital library of education |

|WPL and CML websites. |literature. Here students will find full-text information for thousands of professional journals|

| |and magazines along with citations. |

|Westerville Public Library’s |A collection of thirteen different links to help students perform research on various topics of |

|Online Collection for Kids. |interest. Novelist K-8 offers recommended reads, book lists, etc.; EBSCOHost Searchasaurus |

| |provides access to articles from a variety of sources; Grolier Online Passport is a kid-friendly |

| |encyclopedia, atlas, dictionary, etc. and students can access Grolier Online Kids from this site;|

| |Science Online includes articles, videos, and printable diagrams for numerous science and |

| |technology topics, etc. |

|World Book Kids Encyclopedia |Maps, dictionary, pictures, and activities can be found on this amazing resource. As well as |

|found on CML under the |information on people, places, science and math, world religions, plants and animals, history and|

|“References” tab |government, arts, sports and hobbies. The font and colors are age appropriate and the site is |

| |easy to navigate. |

|World Book Student |World Book Student is geared more towards middle school students and includes rich multimedia, |

|found on CML under the |audios, videos and animation. This is a good site for students in the fourth or fifth grade that|

|“References” tab |want to use a more advanced online resource. |

|INFOhio’s Electronic Resources |The resources located on INFOhio are free to all K-12 students, educators and parents. The |

|Core Collection |collection includes: The Art Collection – online image collection of sculptures, drawings, |

|Accessible through CML’s |painting, etc.; Biography Reference Bank – mostly full-text articles about over half a million |

|Literature Collections under |different people from around the world; Digital Video Collection – hundreds of free digital |

|“Links to Partner Sites” |videos; Learning Express Library – provides programs to help students prepare for tests on a |

| |variety of subjects; Literature Online – full-text searchable poetry, drama, and fiction works; |

| |SchoolRooms – thousands of K-12 websites and links to magazines, newspaper, and encyclopedia |

| |articles; Oxford Reference Online – 175+ fully-indexed reference titles; and many more. When you|

| |click on “Other Resources” at the bottom of the page, another list of valuable resources appears |

| |including: FirstGov For Kids – A search engine for US Government web pages for children; Ohio |

| |Kids – online encyclopedia of Ohio History; and – information about Ohio’s legislative, |

| |executive and judicial branches of state government; etc. |

I will also include other online resources in my collection and categorize them by subject. These online resources won’t necessarily be for research; they will also be for fun. These will be great resources for learning various subjects and topics. They may include:

|Bookflix from Scholastic |Provides interactive books from PreK-Grade 3. Books can be read aloud to the student or students|

| |can read along. A possible substitute for this (if I did not have the funds to purchase the |

| |subscription) would be the free version of Tumblebooks located on the CML website. |

|The Fifty States | |

|(Social Studies) |This web site provides essentially everything a student would want to know about a state from |

| |population, area, capital, points of interest, state flag, animal, famous people, etc.. The |

| |website also features games, quizzes and crossword puzzles. |

|Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government | |

|for Kids |This is a very informative web site about our nation and government. The student first picks a |

|(Social Studies) |grade level and then visually interesting information is given about our nation, government and |

| |neighborhoods. There are games, coloring pages and a huge list of government websites for kids. |

|The Library of Congress: The | |

|Learning Page |This web site is especially for teachers. It features lesson plans, discussion points, classroom|

|(Social Studies) |materials, presentations and activities. |

|America’s Story from America’s | |

|Library |Play a baseball trivia game, explore the states, and meet amazing Americans. View a time line |

|(Social Studies) |and read information from Colonial America to modern era. |

|Harcourt Grammar Glossary | |

|(Language Arts) |First the user selects a grade (1 thru 5). To the left of the page explanations of grammar terms|

| |appear according to each grade. Explanations range from how to use an apostrophe to an |

| |explanation of a complete predicate. |

| Spelling | |

|(Language Arts) |This online game helps students practice spelling. They are given the choice of easy or hard |

| |words and must identify which of four words are misspelled and spell it correctly. If the word |

| |is spelled incorrectly, the computer will give the correct spelling. The student gets 10 chances|

| |and the computer keeps score. |

| | |

|(Language Arts) |This web site has numerous games and activities to help young learners learn to read. |

|Dance Mat Typing | |

|(Language Arts) |This web site interacts with the student learning to type. There are four levels (twelve stages)|

| |that “scaffold” the learning. |

|ScienceBob | |

|(Science) |This web site is simple and easy to use. The homepage is catered towards the young mind |

|Science Buddies | |

|(Science) |This is a great web site that lists science fair project ideas, science news, student resources, |

| |Teacher & parent resources, and information on science careers |

|Science Lab | |

|(Science) |This is web site has information for all grade levels. For the Elementary level there are links |

| |to online games, coloring pages, puzzles, and even to the American Museum of Natural History |

| | |

|Nasa Kids’ Club Website | |

|(Science) |Students pick a skill level from 1 to 5 with 5 being the hardest. Depending on what skill level |

| |is chosen determines the games the student can play. Some games deal with the solar system while|

| |some are just letter recognition and first letter sounds. The web site also features puzzles and|

| |other games. |

| | |

|(Science) |This web site features geology and geography games and information for kids. |

| | |

|(Science) |This is a fun web site that features multiple science games and demonstrations. |

|AplusMath | |

| |This web site provides interactive flashcards, printable worksheets, games and homework help |

| |where the student can enter the numbers in an equation to check their answer. |

|AAA Math | |

| |On this web site, the information is sorted by grade. Within each grade is a Table of Contents |

| |with information sorted by topic and lessons. |

|Cool Math | |

| |This web site is visually interesting. There are games to play, lessons, practice examples, |

| |explanations about difficult problems, a parent link and a teacher link. |

|Harcourt School | |

| |Once on this website, click on Math Advantage and then choose the grade level. At this point, |

| |most of the chapters in the textbook will list interactive games to help teach the chapter |

| |lesson. |

|School Time Games | |

| |Featuring 200 fantastic games for learning and fun |

I will include several board games in my reference collection. Kids love to play games! Games motivate and capture a student’s interest.. When the students have indoor recess I will want them to WANT to come to the library to play games! Plus, if the games are educational, they’ll be learning without even knowing it!! These games will be available for teachers to check out for classroom use as well. Some of the titles might include:

|Amun-Re |Govern provinces, harvest crops, and build pyramids in a quest to rule over two kingdoms of |

|Rio Grande Games.  3-5 players.  |Ancient Egypt. (1 Harris) |

|Age 12+. | |

|No Stress Chess |“Finally, a way to learn chess without stress! The secret? An innovative deck of action cards. |

| |Each depicts a chess piece and how it moves. Once you become comfortable with the moves and |

| |powers of each chess piece, you can flip the two-sided board over and play standard chess. |

| |Includes rules for two variations of playing using the action cards, and all the necessary rules |

| |for standard chess.” Description taken from |

|Chocolate Fix Logic Game |Four Difficulty Levels.  Game of deductive reasoning.  Similar to Sudoku. |

|Think Fast Toys.  single player. | |

|Age 8+. | |

|Max |In this game for very young children, players have to work cooperatively to help woodland |

|Family Pastimes.  2-8 players.  |creatures escape Max the tomcat. (1 Harris) |

|Age:  4+ | |

|Numbers League |Build numerical super heroes and apply tools to add or multiply (with decimals in the expansion) |

|Bent Castle Workshops.  2-4 |to match the number of each villain and capture them. (1 Harris) |

|players.  Age:  8+ | |

|Pandemic |Players must prevent a worldwide pandemic outbreak.  (2 Harris) |

|Albi.  2-4 players.  Age: 10+ | |

|10 Days in the USA |Travel the country (or Europe, Africa, or Asia) on a 10-day journey of geographic discovery by |

|Out of the Box Games.  2-4 |plane, car, or foot. (1 Harris) |

|players.  Age:  8+ | |

|Ticket to Ride |A geography game where players collect sets of train cards to build tracks between cities. (1 |

|Days of Wonder.  2-5 players.  |Harris) |

|Ages:  10+ | |

|Totally Tut |This math game is for ages 6-yrs-old and up. Players have triangular game pieces. Their one |

|Learning Resources |orange piece tells them the sum of their equations. Then they need to fill in the rest of their |

|2-4 players. Ages: 6-9 |triangle with numbers they add, subtract, multiply or divide to reach the sum. The first player |

| |to fill in their triangle wins. A spinner tells players whether to steal, draw or trade a number|

| |from another player. |

Games can be found at numerous sites and physical locations. Some websites that I find useful are:

▪

▪

▪

Annotations:

Are the resource annotations clear, concise and informative? What kinds of features do you consider important for the age and developmental level of your patrons?

Most elementary-aged children (grades K-3) have a short attention span. In order to hold their attention, books and websites need to be easy to navigate. Large print, lots of images and illustrations, and interaction are always great features. Plus, the students have to find the topics being discussed as interesting.

According to our classroom reading (Chapter 2), students entering 4th and 5th grade will become more interested in strategic games and more difficult reading material. They also will start fantasizing and daydreaming more. I think it is important for the library to have material on the shelves and on the computer that will engage all age levels and interests.

What kinds/variety of resources do you believe will best meet the developmental level and needs of your`patrons?

At the elementary level, students develop at very different rates. I think that it is important for the library to have books at all reading levels. I think that it is important for the librarian to promote ready-to-read skills (phonological awareness, print motivation, vocabulary skills, etc.) by reading to classes (especially the younger ones). It is important for adequate ready-reference materials to be on-hand to help teach students literacy skills. It is also important for online references to be available for students who cannot find the information they need in the library’s print resources. As mentioned above, and as stated in our class readings (Chapter 6) “Audiovisual materials create opportunities for youngsters to engage with information and materials that may be inaccessible in a text format.” Most importantly, regardless of the format, all materials must be easily accessible to the students.

Description and rationale:

What kinds of reference services do you believe are most important for the age and developmental level your reference collection will serve? Think about your goals, mission and purpose…Note any class readings, discussion or handouts etc.

Students at the very young elementary level need basic instruction on how books “work” (letters make words, words tell a story, words read from left to right, top to bottom). Also, how a library is structured (where the picture books are located, what the numbers mean on nonfiction books, etc.) As students start to get a little older and begin exploring the Internet on their own, it is imperative that they receive online safety training. This can be accomplished by videos (“The Safe Side: Internet Safety Hot Tips For Cool Kids” Call Number 651.84404 I6186 S128) or by using online Internet safety sites: ()

As students start to do research online, it is important for librarians and teachers to model ethical use of technology (copyright issues, citation, etc.) and to teach students how to evaluate the websites they are using (reliability, accuracy, etc.). This is a good time to introduce government sites.

Regardless of the age, students need to be treated with the same respect that we would treat adults. They need to be given the chance to ask their questions. The librarian needs to maintain eye contact, give their undivided attention, and listen to the question. It’s always a good idea to repeat the question back to the student to ensure there is an understanding of what is needed. Oftentimes, the librarian will need to guide the student with the formulation of the question. And it’s always important to show the student how/where the information was found so they can become independent learners.

Why have you decided to include these reference services and sources? Consider your goals, knowledge of children, current events etc. Think about your mission, purpose and goals, knowledge of library services to children. Note any class readings, class discussion etc.

I think every library needs the basic reference sources (atlas, almanac, dictionary, encyclopedias, etc.) in print format. Online resources are great, but when the library only has three computers and there are twenty students needing reference materials, you have to have the print alternative. I also want to add “fun” items to my reference sources as well (e.g. the Fantasy Encyclopedia, and various board games) because I want the students to think of the library as more than books.

With today’s students being digital natives, I think it is important to at least have digital resources available. And it’s imperative that hands-on, face-to-face training on these resources take place. This can be done as a whole class or one-on-one as the need arises. I envision leading a “Tech Tuesday” program (at least once a month) that will be available to teachers and students. At these programs I will introduce various technologies (old, new, and emerging) such as podcasts, vodcasts, digital storytelling, etc.

Finally, I think that it is extremely important for school libraries to collaborate with their local community library. The public library offers numerous services to teachers (book collections, educator cards, training, etc.) and students (homework help centers, programming, story times, etc.) that more teachers and students need to tap into. Essentially the goals and missions of both libraries are the same – to promote lifelong learning and literacy. Taxpayers fund the resources for schools and libraries. It doesn’t make sense to duplicate efforts. There just needs to be more communication and collaboration between these two entities.

References

Harris, Christopher. "Share Your Story." School Library Journal 1 Feb. 2009: 24-25.

Harris, Christopher.  "Meet The New School Board." School Library Journal 1 May 2009: 24-25. 

 Core Collection Rubric 30 points

|  |0 points |3 points |6 points |8 points |Comments |Points |

|Selection of Sources |Selection of sources |Some selected sources |All selected sources are |  |  |  |

| |is seriously lacking |meet expectations of |current and age | | | |

| |in thought, quality |variety, currency and |appropriate. | | | |

| |and quantity. |function of the | | | | |

| | |reference area. | | | | |

|Collection |Collection shows no |Resources are limited |Selected resources | Selected resources |  |  |

|Composition |cohesiveness, or is |in scope and reflect |reflect a limited |connect to the | | |

| |limited in scope. |limited understanding |analysis of the function |intended goals of the | | |

| | |of the function of a |of a reference area and |reference collection | | |

| | |reference area. |lack connection with |and reflect a | | |

| | | |intended goals and |thoughtful analysis of| | |

| | | |audience of library. |the goals of reference| | |

| | | | |service. | | |

|Annotations |Annotations are not |Some annotations are | Annotations include |All annotations are |  |  |

| |included. |unclear or contain |basic description of item|detailed, well written| | |

| | |grammar errors and |features with some |and demonstrate | | |

| | |typos. |references to |knowledge of | | |

| | | |accessibility of item for|evaluative measures of| | |

| | | |children. |accessibility for | | |

| | | | |youth. | | |

|Description and |A description or |A description and |A description and |Rationale is |  |  |

|Rationale |rationale of the |rationale of the |rationale of the |thoughtful and | | |

| |reference area is not |reference area is |reference area is well |demonstrates knowledge| | |

| |included. |included but is lacking|thought out and matches |of reference service. | | |

| | |in quality, and |the selected resources. | | | |

| | |thought. | | | | |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download