Diversity in School Library Collections

 This blog is about acquiring books for my school library collection that creates a more engaging and compassionate environment for ALL students to want to read. Here is the back story. This year, I walked into my current position as the school librarian at the elementary school I've taught Kindergarten at for past 15 years. I am a teacher at heart. I have always tried very hard to reach all my students by connecting with them and building relationships. My belief as a librarian, teacher and mother is that books can be "Windows, mirrors and sliding glass door" (Bishop, 1990.) But what I have noticed is that our collection of books does not represent the population of students at my school. We are about a third white, a third African American and a third Latino. One day, I was walking through the stacks and randomly pulling books from series to take pictures of different books for students to put on hold. (Because of COVID, students are not allow to be in the library to check out books.) What I noticed was that we were not diverse at all! The only sections of the library that had people of color was the "Historical Fiction" and "Biographies."  This means, that more than half of our students are not represented in our school library. I was very sad to see this was the case but now I know it is up to me to be the change. The following resources will be added to our school collection in the next order. 

Possible Standards strand that connect my diverse choices to the resources: (2^nd Grade Social Studies)

-Recognize the basic elements that make up a cultural region in the United States, including language, beliefs, customs, art, and literature

- Compare the cultural traditions of various regions in the United States and recognize the ways that these elements have been and continue to be passed across generations

- Recognize the cultural contributions of Native American tribal groups, African Americans, and immigrant groups

*Standards are only a base line to teaching the understanding and respect that comes with “diversity.” It is more a matter of character and social skills with representation in books all around them.

 

Books Added to my Library Collection based on Diversity: (a lot of these titles can be purchased as eBooks as well.)

 Elliott, Z. (2018) Dragons in a Bag. New York, NY: Penguin Random House

Selection Tool: Kirkus

 About the book: Jaxon is left with a neighbor while his mom has to go to work. He soon finds out that this woman is a witch who carries three dragons in her bag. 

Draper, S. (2018) Blended. New York, NY: Antheneum Books

Selection Tool: Publisher’s Weekly

About the book: Isabella is eleven and bi-racial. Her parents are divorced so she goes back and forth between two worlds trying to find her true self.

Schofield-Morrison, C. (2020) I Got the School Spirit. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Children’s Books Selection Tool: Kirkus

About the book: Summer is over and the little girl is excited about returning to school. She tells the reader all about how she is bringing "the Spirit" to school. The pictures are beautiful. 

Franklin, A. Illus. by Ebony Glenn (2019) Not Quite Snow White. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishing

Selection Tool: Booklist

About the book: Tameika, a beautiful and vibrant African American girl loves to be on stage. She wants to be the lead of the school musical, "Snow White." After being told that she couldn't be "Snow White" in the musical by her friends, Tameika tells her parents and they encourage her to be herself. When she auditions everyone realizes that she is the perfect "Snow White."

 Sumner, J. (2019) Roll with It. New York, NY: Antheneum Books

Selection Tool: Kirkus

About the book: Ellie has big dreams to be a baker one day but she is also in a wheelchair. It doesn't stop Ellie from pursuing her dream and making friends in the process. This is a great book for students with disabilities that will need to overcome some obstacles. 

Percival, T. (2019) Ruby Finds a Worry. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Selection Tool: Kirkus

About the book: One day, Ruby discovers a "worry." She learns that she needs to talk about the worries. This book is great for students that may be experiencing anxiety and worry. It puts a visual to the "worrying."

 

Walker, T. E. (2020) Nana Akua Goes to School. New York, NY: Random, Schwartz and Wade

Selection Tool: School Library Journal

About the book: Zura is having Grandparents Day at her school. She is bringing her Nana Akua but she is nervous about it because her Nana has marks on her face from her African tribe in Ghana when she was a little girl. On Grandparents day, her Nana paints symbols of the tribe on the students faces. 

 

Umrigar, T. Illus. by Khloe Lee (2020) Sugar in Milk. New York, NY: Running Press

Selection Tool: School Library Journal

About the book: This story is about a little girl that travels to America. She misses her family and pets from back home. Her aunt tells her a Persian story about a people that leaves their land. The people said they would sweeten their land like "sugar in milk" by spreading joy. 

 

Sriram, M. (2020) A Gift for Amma: Market Day in India. Cambridge, MA: Barefoot Books

Selection Tool: School Library Journal 

About the book: The little girl goes to the Indian Market in search of a gift for her mom, Amma. She describes the beautiful colors she sees when she's there.

Barnes, D. Illus, by Gordon C. James (2020) I am Every Good Thing. New York, NY: Penguin Books

Selection Tool: School Library Journal

About the book: This book has a narrator that speaks encouraging words on every page. This books really makes people examine their biases about black men because they start off as these young black boys. Books likes this is where stereotypes and fears around black men are being broken down. 

Charles, T. Illus. by Bryan Collier (2020) All Because you Matter. New York, NY: Scholastic

Selection Tool: School Library Journal

About the book: Wow, this story is about the parents of a black child expressing that they matter. This book should be in everyone's library. It is powerful and timely with the racial tension our country is facing.

Cevantes, A. (2019) Lety Out Loud. New York, NY: Scholastic Press

Selection Tool: Booklist 

About the book: Lety's first language is Spanish. She loves volunteering at the animal shelter. She gets into a competion with a boy at school over writing profiles for the animals at the shelter. 

Warga, J (2019) Other Words from Home. New York, NY: Balzer and Bray/Harper Collins

Selection Tool: Booklist

About the book: Jude and her mother are moving to Cincinnati from Syria to stay safe. She has to learn how to live in America as a "middle eastern" student. Her cousin Sarah isn't all that helpful either. 

Johnson, V. (2020) Twins: A Graphic Novel. New York, NY: Scholastic Publishing

Selection Tool: Horn Book

About the book: Twin sisters, Francine and Maureen Carter are taking on sixth grade with some difficulty. Both girls are so different and their middle school experience may cause a rift between their bond. 

Books to be used for actual content lessons

            Social Studies Lesson

1.       Cline-Ransome, L. Illus. by James Ransome. (2020) Overground Railroad. New York, NY: Holiday House

            Selection Tool: School Library Journal

            About the book: Ruth Ellen is traveling north in the Great Migration. Along the ride, poetry is used to describe the ride. I can see students using this as a model for learning about that time in our history as well as creating poetry about their experiences. 

 

2.       Woods, B. (2019) The Unsung Hero of USA. New York, NY: Nancy Paulsen/ Penguin Books     Selection Tool: School Library Journal

        About the book: This is a moving story about a friendship between a young white boy and a Black WWII veteran who recently returned to the unwelcoming south and its Jim Crow Laws. I would use this as a jumping off point for discussions on race and what it was like during thi time in history. I would imagine students would be able to tell you it doesn't feel all that different in some cases. 

 

3.       Verde, S. (2016) Water Princess. New York, NY: G. P. Putman’s Sons Books for Young          Readers Selection Tool: School Library Journal

        About the book: This story is based on supermodel Georgie Badiel's childhood and her dreams of drinking clean water in her African village. America's definition of princess is very Disney. I would be curious to compare and contrast the life of a Disney princess to that of the Water Princess. 

 

Science Lessons

 

4.       Chin, J (2020) Your Place in the Universe. New York, NY: Neal Porter Books

                Selection Tool: Horn Book

                About the book: This book is all about the scale of us to the universe. I can see many sciences lessons about maps to scale and comparing various other things in our lives to that of the stars in the universe. 

 

5.       Beaty, A. (2016) Ada Twist, Scientist. New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams Publishing

                Selection Tool: Booklist

                About the book: Ada Twist is born to be a scientist. She questions everything and the adults in her life have their heads spinning. Science inquiry standards would be great to teach with Ada because she displays them throughout the book. You could read this as an opening unit for any science class.

 

Website resources for teachers about Diversity

 

1.       http://respectdiversity.org/?page_id=926

2.       https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/multiculturalism-and-diversity/

3.       https://diversebooks.org/

4.       https://www.teachervision.com/subjects/social-studies-history/culture-diversity

5.     https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/diversity-in-the-classroom

Google Expeditions Adventures

“Google Expeditions is an immersive education app that allows teachers and students to explore the world through over 1000 virtual-reality (VR) and 100 augmented-reality (AR) tours. You can swim with sharks, visit outer space, and more without leaving the classroom.” All you have to do is download the app, figure out what adventure you would like to take and download it. You can also purchase kits for your classroom or school that have the cardboard glasses to insert your device. Here is a site for buyingoptions. Libraries and school get monies for technology so buying several kits for teachers to check out through the library would be a great investment.

As a Kindergarten teacher, I have used the Expedition app several times to show my students science related topics they would not have had the opportunity to see otherwise. In the past, we have studied polar animals then watched polar bears in their natural habitats. We have studied ocean life and then swam underwater with the fish. If I can take Kindergarten students exploring through adventures, I can only imagine what older grades could do with these Expeditions. Imagine studying a time in history then taking a tour of the ruins or reading a classic novel then touring the setting of the story, the possibilities are endless. Google has a list of free tours you can take that I will link here.

With education becoming more virtual, I can see teachers using this app as a way for students to explore subject matter or topics in a fun and exciting way. This app allows students to see outside of their own little world and connect with other places around the globe. The video below will show you just a few examples of virtual trips.

As the school librarian, I look forward to using this tool as a way to excite students about literacy. “VR and AR technology enhancements offer librarians another opportunity to fit into the role of: guides (where), visitors can time-travel to 1906 to witness the massive earthquake that tore apart San Francisco, or ride on the Pequod, chasing Moby Dick – gaining exposure to great books by entering and living in them.”

Digital Citizenship and Cyber Bullying

          The cyber bullying definition from the Cyberbullying Research Center website states that it is “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.” We are living in the social media age and cyber bullying is rampant. It is all over any platform you decide to look at, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and Snapchat. Cyber bullying does not discriminate age, race, gender, social status, etc. People are always hiding behind their screens typing things to friends or strangers they would never have the courage to say in person. What stands out to me the most is that kindness and common decency has been forgotten and replaced with narrow-minded opinions and snap judgments of other people’s lives. Then it begs to ask, is this the future we want for our children? They are growing up witnessing this hurtful behavior, this cyber bullying.

            As a school, we are tasked with the job of teaching Digital Citizenship and Anti-Cyber bullying. Howard Gardner, a professor at Harvard University developed a unit called “Digital Life” that covers five ethical issues to assist in teaching digital citizenship. The five issues are as follows, Identity, Privacy, Ownership/Authorship, Trustworthiness and Participation in the community. These free online resources seemed like a great starting point for elementary teachers and librarians to delve into the importance of Digital Citizenship. School Counselors are usually very involved in the topic of cyber bullying and teach lessons at the school where I work. It would be wise if the librarian teamed up with them to reinforce and dive deeper into the cyber bullying issues that face young students today. Allowing students time and space to understand the ethical issues and their digital footprint is extremely important considering employers interview your Facebook page before even meeting you in today’s world. In addition, predators are grooming children and taking advantage of their naivety online. So, I think it is important as well to teach children at a fairly young age how protect themselves online.

            The “Digital Citizenship Project” founded in 2011 by a High School in Illinois pairs high school students with middle school students as mentors to explain the importance of digital citizenship. I absolutely love this idea. We have a leadership class at our local high school that has put on book drives and come in our elementary school as “Reading Buddies.” At my school, we could start in third grade pairing this group of high school students to help walk through scenarios and discuss topics surrounding cyber bullying. This way, students are learning from older students, not only teachers, and both are reaping the benefits.

            It is also imperative to have parents involved in this process as well. A study published by the Journal of Education and Training Studies surveyed parents in response to cyber bullying and they tended to “favor punishment-oriented solutions.” Most of the teachers, students and administrators surveyed felt that more education and awareness was the key to correcting cyber bullying. I feel very strongly that adults also need cyber bullying training and must be involved in hard discussions about their own representation online especially with all the divisiveness that is happening in our country currently. After the high school students work with the elementary students. We could have the younger students train their parents on Digital Citizenship and cyber bullying in an evening program event. The librarian could also line up some professionals to discuss internet safety in their homes and the new ever-changing trending lingo or apps.

            As educators and librarians, we have to arm our students with the knowledge of being a good digital citizen. Everywhere they look there are examples of cyber bullying, even by the president of our country. It is my hope that we can do right by them so that they do better than we have with empathy and kindness towards others while using electronic devices.The hurt and pain cyber bullying can cause is devastating to children. We must do better. 

Here is a resources for the Effects of Cyberbullying.

 

Inclusion for the Visually Impaired Student by using Immersive Reader

            This week’s blog is about assistive or adaptive technology for the visually impaired in a school. At the school I currently work, I am aware of two students in regular education classrooms that have a visual impairment. As the new media specialist, I thought it would be best to research technology to assist in their education and support their learning. I was in a professional development recently where they introduced “Microsoft Immersive Reader" as a tool for students. The following blog will discuss its features and uses for visually impaired students.

            “Immersive Reader is a full screen reading experience to increase readability of content in OneNote documents. Learning Tools is designed to support students with dyslexia and dysgraphia in the classroom, but can support anyone who wants to make reading on their device easier.” In the Immersive Reader program, you are able to upload or take a snap picture of any form of text. Then you can change the font, the size, spacing between letters/words and the colors of the text or background. The program also reads the text to the individual if necessary. Immersive reader can also break apart the sentence by parts of speech and adds pictures in place of the words if additional vocabulary knowledge is needed. It has a picture dictionary for struggling readers that may not know the meaning of words. It can also translate the text in any language, which is helpful for (ESL) English as Second Language students. Readers can also highlight one line at time to read and change the speed of the text being read aloud.

            As a teacher, I could think of various ways to use Immersive Reader, especially with my ESL students or struggling readers. Teaching young ESL children to read is difficult without knowing the vocabulary in their own language so Immersive Reader can assist with pictures and translations. Our school will be one-to-one with devices next year each device has the Microsoft Bundle that includes Immersive Reader. The two students with vision impairments will have more of an equal opportunity to learn because of this program. Also, if we go full virtual learning, it will be easy to teach the students and their parents how to use the program. Neither of our visually impaired students are fully blind but need different accommodations for being able to see text. One student needs larger text and sometimes a darker background, which the program can do. The other student is slowly losing her vision and will need the text read aloud until she can learn Braille. The school library had purchased several books with larger print for these students but it is not nearly enough. I can imagine the possibilities with the “Immersive Reader” Program for their future education.

            This website has a video that gives a deeper look into Immersive Reader and another video that shows how a first grade teacher uses the program in her classroom with all of her students. https://schoolsict.co.uk/what-we-do/office-365/learning-tools/immersive-reader

Resources:

Use immersive reader for one note (n.d.) Retrieved from https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-immersive-reader-for-onenote-10712138-b4ed-4513-958d-d9a1b3038170

Blog Share

Website: K-12 Blue Print (https://www.k12blueprint.com/news/ten-tips-school-library-media-specialists)

Title of blog: Ten Tips for School Library Media Specialists

            In this Blog post, I will be sharing the article, “Ten Tips for School Library Media Specialists” by Frances Bryant Bradburn. The website I found this article from is for educational leaders that are implementing technology programs. The article I choose to share gives ten tips for media specialists that will help change their library technology program. I found the article very helpful as a future media specialist. It gives an awareness of what my role will be in the media center as an educational leader. Some of the tips I found particularly helpful were as follows:

            Tip # 1 Focus on Instruction and Resources, Not Things- A study performed by the Department of Library and Information Sciences from the University of North Texas concluded that school librarians were able to create positive changes within their schools by taking primary roles in assisting students and staff to acquire information skills.” The role of a school media specialist will be to help guide teachers and students to resources within the school they made need. He/she will also assist with technology support when teaching skills that will require the use of technology making you a Technology Leader in the school.

             Tip # 5 Turn part of the media center into a Maker Space- This tip gave the great idea to allow students to try different ways of learning, including multiple facets and technology within the school library. One of the suggestions was a 3D printer and combining the library with your Technology Hub. The technology plan should have a section that allots technology use in media center. A Maker Spaces can be allowing a station where students can create things using cloth, buttons, even sewing machines. The thought of using Maker Space in the elementary media center has be excited to start figuring ways to make it work. Time was the number one barrier in a study performed by Melissa P. Johnston, Assistant Professor at the School of Library and Information Studies, College of Communication & Information Sciences, University of Alabama. She also states that, “Respondents commented on not having enough time to work with teachers, to plan, to learn about technologies, and to devote to any one activity because of the various tasks for which school librarians are responsible, and multiple respondents noted ‘too much to do,’ and ‘not enough time to devote to any one role to be fully involved in accomplishing it.’” Time will have to be managed well and as I work through a new role as the school media center, I will have to prioritize my time wisely.

             Tip # 6 Keep the books but consider why and which ones- This tip brings into question some of the traditional ways libraries run. For example, using encyclopedias and dictionaries for research or sorting the library by genre as opposed to the Dewey system. Turning to the internet more for research really makes you consider internet safety and “Fake News” that is facing our students. As well as the responsibility on librarians and teachers to teach students how to be safe on the internet.

            Tip # 10 Ask teachers what they want. It is important to ask teachers and the principal what they want from you the media specialists. As the media specialist, you serve the school and it is important to know what your expectations are and what your faculty needs of you. When you are creating a technology plan, it is vital to involve teachers at every turn. In the article, A Technology Plan that Works the authors talk about five lessons that help make a successful technology plan and almost all of the lessons involve the teachers in some way. “Keeping the focus squarely on people—as opposed to technology—will help schools smoothly introduce a technology initiative and maintain enthusiasm for the project in the long term.”

The article overall was easy to read and gave great advice about how to conduct yourself as a school media specialist. 

Resources:

Daniella Smith, (2010),"Making the case for the leadership role of school librarians in technology integration", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 28 Iss 4 pp. 617 - 631

Johnson, M. P. (2012).  School librarians as technology integration leaders: Enablers and barriers to leadership enactment. School Library Research, 15. 

Overbay, A, Mollette, M. and Vasu E (2011) “A Technology plan that works.” Educational Leadership, February. www.ASCD.ORG

High Standards for Librarians: My Reflections on the ISTE and AASL Standards

The 2016 ISTE Standards (iste.org/standards)

1.       Empowered Learner-Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstration competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

2.       Digital Citizen- Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.

3.       Knowledge Constructor- Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.

4.       Innovative Designer-Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.

5.       Computational Thinker-Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and text solutions.

6.       Creative Communicator- Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.

7.       Global Collaborator- Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.

The 2007 AASL Standards (Information Services Today, 2015)

1.       Inquire, think critically and gain knowledge

2.       Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations and create knowledge.

3.       Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society

4.       Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.

            After reading through the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) standards and the AASL (American Association of School Librarians) standards, I am reminded of a quote from my reading in a previous class. Mary Ann Harlan states that “there are many overlaps between the student learning standards published by ISTE and the AASL but both standards help guide school librarian practices that encourage instruction regarding technology literacy.” (2015, page 56) If we are thinking of “technology literacy” as the end goal for students, librarians should use these two sets of standards to assist their instruction. Like Harlan said, these standards overlap but they also differ in their use. The AASL standards address four types of knowledge: skills, dispositions, responsibilities and self-assessment. The ISTE standards address more technology competencies. The AASL standards refer to a student’s ability as an individual. The ISTE standards related more the students ability to work with technology alongside others. For example, students not only need to be able to think critically but also communicate clearly and creatively to apply that knowledge. These sets of standards both delve into what it takes to be a well-rounded member of our society and I think as librarians it is our job to assist in that process in anyway necessary.

            The article Factors of Engagement: Professional Standards and the Library Science Internship discusses research performed on the library science internship of programs by sending a survey out to all enrolled at a southeastern university over a period of four years. The study developed “factors” that related back to the ITSE and the ASSL standards. After they received the results of the surveys, they discovered six “factors” that the interns reflected as an “environment of collaboration.” When I reviewed the “six factors,” I was able to get a good picture of how my library should function with collaboration in mind.

            Here are my thoughts on each of the “factors” and how they relate to both sets of standards.

~Factor 1 is “Creating an Environment of Collaboration,” which means as librarians it is our job to build relationships with teachers and create opportunities that benefit all students. We are leaders in our schools whose job it is to “Empower the Learner” and that learner may include your fellow teachers.

~Factor 2 is “Positioning the Library within School Improvement Efforts.” It is vital to the future of our school libraries that we become advocates for the role libraries play within the school. In the article 65 years and Counting: AASL and School Librarians-Still Champions of Intellectual Freedom, Helen Adams states that the administration within the school are not always supportive of their school libraries and need to be better informed especially in regards to First Amendment and intellectual freedoms. This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what kind of respect is given to school libraries and their importance.

~Factor 3 is “Ethical and Appropriate Use of Technology.” It is our ethical obligation as librarians to teach the appropriate uses of technology. This factor makes me think of the ITSE standard of being a “Digital Citizen.” Not only do we teach using technology as a tool but also we teach how to use it appropriately and ethically.

~Factor 4 is “Support to Teachers in Shaping and Assessing Environment.” We are tasked with supporting teaching in their creating of an environment that “opens doors to learning.” We have many resources at our fingers tips to inspire and create a hub of information and various tools of technology. The AASL standard that states share knowledge is what we as librarians should model for students in our role.

~Factor 5 is “Academic Support.” This factor goes back to being able to work collaboratively and serve as a resource ourselves to teachers for the overall benefit of the students. I look forward to working alongside teachers in reinforcing skills and review ones students may not have mastered. I hope to create an extension of learning while the students are in the library where we are working as one body.

~Factor 6 is “Self as a Professional.” The AASL standard “pursue personal growth” relates so well to this last factor. Librarians as professionals should always be trying to learn and grow just like our students. The way we view our role as the librarian is also very important to our success. Dotson writes, “The prepared and confident school librarian is a professional with a unique skill set and strong position at the heart of the school.” I am blessed to become the librarian at the school I have taught Kindergarten in since it opened thirteen years ago. My heart is rooted in my school. I am genuinely excited to bring all that I am learning in this Master’s degree to create an environment of collaboration.

             While examining the standards and reflecting on the outcome of the research performed on the library science interns, I have a great starting point for me as a new librarian. I also have a new awareness of how important my job is to building an environment where all are welcomed and learning opportunities are created. Standards and expectations are high for me stepping into my role as a school librarian.

Sources:

Adams, H. R. (2016). 65 years and counting AASL and school librarians — Still champions of intellectual freedom. Knowledge Quest, 45(1), 34-41

Dotson, K. D., & Dotson-Blake, K. (2015). Factors of engagement: Professional standards and the library science internship. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve   Learning, 59(3), 54-63.

Harlan, M.A. (2015). “Literacy and media centers: School libraries”. In S. Hirsch (Ed), Information services Today: An introduction (pp. 53-61). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.