Making Book Trailers

This summer I am taking a course through Simmons in creating book trailers. I am learning about tools that are new to me, considering what to include and what to leave out and am newly impressed with how music changes the tone of a video. 

Here is a first try. I am hoping to join with students to make book trailers for the 2014 - 2015 nominees for the Massachusetts Children's Book Awards. 
Making book trailers is fun and rewarding. It's also time consuming. While I hope to create plenty of my own, enlisting students to make them seems like a good idea. 

 

Why Do You Deserve to Win?

Over the past summer I enjoyed things I never had time for during the school year – sleeping in to 6:00 a.m., sitting in the park for hours and enjoying the breeze and reality t.v.

One show in particular has sparked my interest – Project Runway. I have a passion for fiber arts and this show expands my vision. While I watch the show with the purpose of exploring a passion, my librarian brain will kick in and one thing keeps nagging at me.

Imagine the scene: Three designers exhausted, yet exhilarated after their emotional runway shows during Olympus Fashion Week stand in the spotlight of The Runway. They stand before the judges who will tell them who will win an incredible, life changing career package. The judges deliver their impressions of the collections – both the good and the bad. Here is the moment that grabs me every time. One of the jusdges asks:

“Why do you deserve to win?”

A simple question. The question should be easy to answer for someone who believes in their passion. It should be easy for someone who has spent months putting together the collections. They have certainly had time to ponder the question as they sew. They have seen the work of the other competitors. They have worked with them closely and had opportunity to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the other two on the runway. It should be a piece of cake to say a few sentences that sum up their strengths and merits.

But they can’t.

For the most part they fumble. I’ve heard their responses. They run along these lines:

“Because I’ve wanted it since I was five years old.”
“Because I’ve come this far.”

“Because I’ll crumple up and die if I don’t.”

“Because I need the money.”

“Because this is my only chance to put out my own line.”

“Because I want it so badly I can taste it.”

These answers do not address the question. One wonders whether it is the pressure, the lack of sleep, the intense emotional punch of the experience that throws them off course. I know I couldn’t survive their schedule. Still, could it be that they are not prepared to explain themselves?

As librarians and educators preparing our students for the 21^st century these answers make me feel a recommitment to teaching children skills to help them present themselves so that when they are asked “Why should you win?” the answer has more to do with assessing their achievements and little to do with desires and feelings. While feelings and desires drive us to learn, grow and develop ourselves, they are not a great persuasive argument for landing a job, an award or a prize.

Those designers who substituted their feelings for a carefully polished artist’s statement, lost the opportunity to sell themselves and make the judges see their vision.

Need ideas and resources for writing your artist statement? There are two resources I recommend. I’d rather be in the Studio!: The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self Promotion by Alyson B. Stanfield is chock full of insightful, practical information about artist promotion that can be put into motion. Stanfield is active on twitter at @abstanfield and runs workshops through her blog.

Another great resource is Writing the Artist Statement by Ariane Goodwin. This is a very different book. More introspective, almost meditative, the book is a set of writing exercises designed to help the artist to understand their work before writing the statement.

Both of these books have inspired my thinking. I hope you will find them helpful as well.

So you have done a great job doing whatever you do. Why do you deserve to win?

Can’t hold it in

Last week a member of our school community came to me and told me how much she wished she could have joined our Caldecott Adventure. A prior commitment made joining impossible.

Her observation was that everywhere she went she heard someone talking about the books. Talking with passion.  She felt she was missing something of value and missing on that sense of sharing.

She laughed as she related seeing a teacher walking down the hallway and another teacher bursting out of her room asking her if she had read “A Bedtime for Bear” yet. It was impossible to hold in the excitement about the book.

I laughed when I heard that, because that book is creating quite a stir among our members. Not a single person who read that title in the library was able to quietly record their observations and move on. They all felt they had to share it with someone, talk over all the funny details that made it sing to them and to create a connection. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this is one of the ones nominated by our group for the first cut. 

What is remarkable, however, is how picture books are taking over our conversation. There is no time to waste on petty things - there are books to be discussed. 

Reviewing Style

It has been a joy this week to watch people come to the library to review the books. The conversation that happens when people find a book they love, or hate, is unstoppable. You can see the feelings bursting out, needing to be shared.

The way that individuals are going about the process is fascinating to me. No two people seem to approach it alike. The Caldecott Manual’s sample form has a place to check off which publications have reviewed the book. So I decided to provide the reviews of each material. Some people don’t want to read the reviews at all. They are just checking off the boxes. Others want to  read them to see what they missed. One of my colleagues, who was unsure of her own knowledge, is scanning the reviews to glean vocabulary to expand her reviewing skills. She does this BEFORE she looks at the book.

This blew my mind. Most of us are creatures of habit. We get so used to doing it our way that it is hard to see any other possibility. I approach reviewing books like I do film adaptations of books. Before I see the film I must read the book. I will pass on an intriguing film if I haven’t had time to read through. Why? I feel that visual images are so strong they will dominate. At least that is the way it is for me. I need to read the book and conjure up my own mental picture of the characters, the scenery and all the details. If I do this first, my character can live very nicely in harmony with the filmmaker’s vision. In fact, my characters can sometimes be strong enough to banish the filmmaker’s vision. If I see the movie first, it’s all over. The filmmaker will intrude and ultimately win.

So when I look at a new book, I don’t want to know what someone else is thinking. I need to find out for myself. I need to be clear of someone else’s critical eye. They may be much more knowledgeable than I, but I want the opportunity to make my own observations and my own mistakes first. After that, I like to look at the reviews. It’s sort of like trying to do that crossword puzzle before peeking at the answers.

Seeing my colleague dive into the reviews first astounded me. I found I had to hold myself back from running over and correcting her. The big lesson for me here is to see how many ways there are to do this thing. My colleague is not having any trouble coming up with insights of her own. Nor is she having trouble in expressing them or defending them.

One day I returned to the library after doing an errand to find three participants huddled over a book. The idea of reading a book that way for review purposes would never have occurred to me. Each of them added a different perspective to the viewing. While we will discuss and expand our own visions, this group was doing it immediately. It was interesting to watch.

Personally, I feel like an old dog. I don’t feel much like veering from my way of reviewing the book first, by myself, before letting someone else’s voice get in my head. I’m finding it hard to do as people review books I haven’t gotten to yet. They have enthusiasm or distain to share and I want to be there to share it. So I’ll have to find a way to allow myself to grow along with the process. 

Setting up a Mock-Caldecott Committee group

I was asked if I would blog the process of my Mock Caldecott group. So I started where I was – on kick off day. I didn’t want to loose the importance or the feelings of the moment. Yet so much happened before I got to that point and I think that’s the part that anyone considering doing a group like this would want to know about.  It takes a lot more than loving reviewing books.

The idea to form a group started poking me during the course I took through the ALSC last winter. The course, Newbery Award: Past, Present and Future, was an inspiring and mind expanding experience. K. T. Horning is an inspiration. Her extensive knowledge and masterful structuring of the course made it one of the highlights of my year. It certainly expanded the way I looked at the award process and children’s literature in general.

During the class I began to think that it was the process the award committee takes which really interested me above all else. I guess I had always thought of the end result, finding the most distinguished book for children, to be the goal. Learning more about the process, I felt that the process of reviewing in a systematic way in relation to other people doing the same was something I wanted, more than anything else, to experience.  Some people have told me that they don’t see the point in taking graduate classes when they can get knowledge experientially. While everyone has to walk their own life and find their own truth, I have found that the systematic approach to studying something does give a different kind of perspective. For example, while I may be widely read in some areas, systematically reading and comparing with a goal in mind gives a whole new realm of experiencing what is being viewed. It is well worth the time and effort because my experience grows into a deeper level. A person can do this without a course or a group, but most of us don’t stick to a system unless we are in concert with others. We also miss out on the perspectives gained from others, the growth in our relationships with others and a network of fellow seekers.

So I knew I wanted both a system and human contact. Sharing the experience was paramount to the experience I was seeking.

And I knew it was the Caldecott Medal that I was interested in.

Now I needed a forum. Professionally, I had a goal of providing some professional development in my school. This focus group is a chance to form a group without the travel time, foster learning with my peers, provide an opportunity for people to earn professional development credit which I hoped they would find interesting while fulfilling some of my own, build community and have the opportunity to try out the process all wrapped in one. It didn’t hurt that I’d be doing advertising for the award while I was at it.

Getting clearance to do this project was an education in itself. I am fortunate, as everyone was supportive of me in the process. However, writing the proposal and filling in the paperwork was not as easy for me to do as convincing people that it was a good idea. It took me several months from the time I picked up the application to the time it was ready to be submitted. Part of that was my own dreaming and reflecting on how I should structure the project -what parts to go as authentic as possible and what parts to be more relaxed about. When I thought I was ready I submitted it to our Curriculum Director who sat down with me and helped me work through the pieces I needed to clarify.

While I was doing this I was reading like mad. I read the Caldecott Medal Committee Handbook multiple times. The bibliography in the document served as my guide in ordering books online. Hint to those who want to do this – some of the out of print books can be had used online. For a while I was receiving books from UPS or the US Postal Service every day. I read and I reviewed. I took copious notes, distilled some key vocabulary, typed it in large font and hung it over my desk to remind me of what I am looking for when I review books. It was overwhelming. It was inspiring. It took over my waking and my sleeping.

Here’s the difficult part - structuring it all. It sounds easy to find books and review them. In reality it would be easy to loose track. So creating a personal recording method is essential. I have a spreadsheet for the eligible books. I can use spreadsheet software, but I’m not a whiz at all the formatting for printing. So that means I save the spreadsheet several times over customized in a variety of ways. I have a list of the books and the publications which have reviewed them, a list of the books and their ILL status, and a list of the books and who has read them to reference to see if a book can go back to the library.

Then there are the review notes. Very clever I thought myself when I made a chart echoing the sample given in the Caldecott Manual. I copied and pasted the charts until I had plenty to work through. Each new book reviewed was entered in the next empty form. Now, I have a long, long list of charts out of order. It would be simple to print, sort alphabetically or by general impression, three hole punch them and file. Digital formats are so less clunky, though. So I guess I’d better start cutting, moving and pasting them in alphabetical order.  It has been suggested that I would have been well advised to add date and some sort of easily identifiable mark which marks whether I think it is in the running or whether it is not to be borne.

Yes, these things will work themselves out during this session and be in place for next year. They take more time and energy and thoughtfulness than you originally bargain for.

Finally, I had to find 15 people to form the group. I was able to get one member from the public library when I went to invite and discuss the program. Several teachers who I knew to be children’s lit enthusiasts had helped me through the thinking stages. They readily joined and brought others with them. An all staff email garnered a few inquiries. Mostly though, I talked to everyone as we crossed paths. I stopped talking when I hit the magic number. I did find that the most successful way for me to garner members was to talk to them. I don’t know if it was the personal invitation, my enthusiasm for the project or my sparkling personality. It doesn’t matter. I have a wonderful group of 15 intelligent, perceptive, energetic people who are helping me to realize my goal. 

Mock Caldecott Kick Off

Today I hosted my Mock Caldecott Kick Off. The Mock Caldecott is being run as a focus group for members of my school and community. We have a nice cross section of our school represented and a school/public library connection. I was hoping that we could mimic the actual committee as much as possible and so I aimed for 15 participants. I selected myself as chair and sent out an email to all the staff of my building. I'll blog about how it came to be another time. For now, it's all about today.

I prepared folders for each participant with the materials I thought they would need. This included a copy of my Power Point slideshow for taking notes, contact list for all participants, evaluation sheets, a list of titles to start looking at and a bookmark with all the Caldecott Medalists up to 2005 which I had bought from CBC back in the day. To add to the festive nature of the day I put a gold medal sticker on the cover of each and wrote a name on each one.

I served refreshments. After a full day of teaching people need to unwind a bit. We had tea and soft drinks available. I wanted something Caldecott theme oriented, so I baked some brownies, frosted them and placed circles of white chocolate which was tinted yellow in the middle of what I thought would be each brownie. I thought when I cut them apart they would look like books with gold medals. Well, it was a nice fantasy, but really I think I'd better leave the themed baking up to two of my favorite bloggers - Grace Lin and Jamma Rattigan. Those are two ladies who know how to do it right. On the contrary, when you try to cut fudge brownies with a table knife they don't cut evenly. In fact, they kind of form balls. If I were to do it again, I wouldn't choose fudge style brownies and I would  bake them until dry. At least they would look good. The rollos and peanut butter cups which were both wrapped in round gold foil held up the theme of gold medals a bit more successfully.

Although most of us work in the same building, we don't really all know each other. Our member from the public library needed to have a way to meet us as well. So I asked everyone to wear a name tag and tell about a picture book that they love. Any picture book they love. I was not foolish enough to ask for a "favorite". I couldn't have answered that - my "favorite" changes from moment to moment. It was really interesting to me, who knows everyone, what books they chose.

We turned to the power point in which I outlined some of the background of the Caldecott Medal, an overview of the criteria, the format of our meetings, some background on picture book evaluation and some resource information.

From tomorrow, people will start coming to the library to read and review the books. In conjunction with our public library, I have ordered a selection which I will keep behind my desk. Members are welcome to help themselves any time. They are also given a list so they can order them through ILL and see them at their leisure at home.

This all took about one hour. I looked about me and was really excited. It is a very lively group of people with very different perspectives. Hosting a group like this will be a real learning experience. I have no doubt that debate about the various merits of the books will be hotly contested at times. I look forward to this challenge. It will certainly stretch my abilities and my vision.

It was a good day.

It took a thunderbolt

Last week we had really terrible thunderstorms in our area. As the thunder and lightning grew closer together the walls shook more violently. Suddenly the two joined the fire alarm and there was nothing for it but to evacuate with purse, family members and a couple of laptops. It was 2:45 a.m. About an hour and a half later, we carried those items back into our home and attempted sleep. Unfortunately, that left me about half an hour before I needed to get up. As I slogged through my commute, I thought about how scared some of my students would be. It seemed that reading some of my favorite storm books would be in order. My two favorite books about lightning are Thundercake by Patricia Polacco and Dragon is Coming by Valeri Gorbachev

I prefaced the lesson by asking students to raise their hands if they had not slept well the night before. Most of them raised their hands. I plowed ahead naively asking what had kept them up. The answers started out with “the t.v. was too loud”. By the time the answers made it to “my sister/brother was snoring” I had caught on. Only one child had mentioned the storm.

I was not brilliant on that day. I did not move fast nor did I always follow what people were saying to me. I would have been happy to have someone tell me to put my head on the table and take a break. Concentration was not easy. Somehow, though, I began to think of what performing in school would be like for a six year old who didn’t get enough sleep. How easy would it be for a child who regularly doesn’t get enough sleep?

I don’t have any answers, but I do think I woke up that day when I made the electric connection.

The Web – A Maze of Letters and Numbers

I’m still reading I’d rather be in the Studio!: The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion by Alyson B. Stanfield and probably will be for some time. It is one of those books you read and re-read. After reading a passage you digest, try your hand at it and come back to refine your thinking post-experience.

Something Stanfield wrote has me doing a lot of thinking. She mentions, in passing, that everything you do online is “text-based.” As teachers/librarians/parents/members of society we talk about, often bemoaning, children’s lack of attention these days. Often times the reason for this is attributed to digital media and the access to video games, television programming which caters to the rapid fire of visual stimulation. The internet is often thought of as a vast warehouse of multimedia which is dominated by visual and auditory stimulus. In truth, the dominant paradigm is actually text. Everything is linked through the use of text. Everything must be searched for using text – alpha numerically. The common way of searching does not involve drawing a shape on the screen and having the computer search for everything which shares that shape. It involves typing in words which will be used as search terms. Think of how difficult it would be to narrow down searches if they were done by shape, color or sound. Perhaps using SMARTPHONE technology would allow you to take a picture and search for iterations of that picture. That might be more successful. Still, it seems to me the tagging we do is more efficient than pictorial searching ever could be.

The old adage “a pictures is worth a thousand words” is alright as long as you do not expect my 1,000 words to be the same as yours. A picture of any celebrity will inspire admiration in some, loathing in others and a perplexed look in someone who has no context for the individual. We interpret visual stimuli based on our own experiences, values and needs. Let’s face it, when a teenage girl and her parent go shopping one of them will look at a skirt and think it is too long. The other will think it is a wash cloth. Visual images are not static in interpretation. Truth be told, neither are words.

I’m willing to be educated about the possibilities of visual search engines. My search on the web didn’t show me anything which I thought looked close to giving the kind of results we now get with text based search engines. I’m sure Steve Jobs is working on it.

Ultimately what this means is – writing really matters in a digital world. Content is the base, the backbone, the jumping spot. Years ago I was talking to a family member who is very tech saavy. He told me that he had thought about starting a website and then realized that a good website has to have more than cool stuff. A meaningful website needs to have a purpose. It needs to have content. So do we in creating one. Content is the stuff which holds all the glitter together. Without it even beautiful images are adrift. Looking on Bing’s Visual Search I was struck by this. The photograph of Queen Elizabeth II without the text “world leaders” could possibly be link to biographical information about the Queen, the royal family or great hats. The text clues us into the values that the designer used when the page was formed. In creating content critical thinking is imperative. Text sure helps.

Our efforts toward strengthening ELA skills in students should not waver in the face of the digital paradigm. No. Our resolve to maintain high expectations for reading and writing throughout this time of technological growth must not be shaken. The format for many of the things we take for granted will change. The degree to which this comes to pass is really anyone’s guess. However, whether interacting with bound books, ebooks or web content, students need the skills of reading for comprehension (not just decoding), writing and creating content using their critical thinking skills to be successful players in the digital arena.

Paula Yoo continues to inspire – My first Lit Trip column

I cannot adequately express my appreciation for the experience Paula Yoo put together this year for NaPiBoWriWee – National Picture Book Writing Week. During the month of April, Paula posted daily inspirational messages on her blog. These included plenty of recommendations for books to read, authors and illustrators who added their insights, and writing prompts. Paula did everything short of writing our books for us. I know I am not the only one who found I wanted to read the books of our fine leader. In April, I picked up a copy of Good Enough which had long been on my “to read” list. Once I started reading, I read all the way to the end. Several times people tried to ask me questions, but they desisted when all they got in response was “…huhhhhhhhhhh…..”

I loved Good Enough for so many reasons. If you look at Paula’s website and check out the reviews for the book you will see that there’s been plenty of positive talk surrounding the book.
http://www.paulayoo.com/content/good-enough-paperback-be-released-spring-2011-wed-42110

So I won’t go there, except to say that this is a book that I am very enthusiastic about and would recommend to anyone. Actually, a young friend of mine is reading it now. At first she wasn’t too happy with me for giving it to her the weekend before she had to take the MCAS. There are far too many references to the necessity of getting good test scores for someone who was on the brink of standardized test taking. Later, she saw the humor in it. Yesterday when I asked her a question. She replied “…huhhhhhhhhhhhh…” Glad it has come out in paperback, Paula. Think I’ll be buying several copies.



Lit Trips

I have long wanted to start a regular column in my blog called Lit Trips. Paula has inspired my first one. Lit Trips will be columns which I dedicate to the places found in children’s literature. I find myself taking these little forays to see the actual places.

Good Enough takes place in my old stomping grounds. I grew up in Connecticut and the names of the schools and the places are ones which I am quite familiar with. Having just read the book and being on April vacation, I headed over to West Hartford, Connecticut and took a look around at Hartt School of Music which is part of the University of Hartford campus. Some of my friends took private lessons there when we were in high school. A relative got a degree from University of Hartford. As I drove around the campus many happy memories came flooding back to me. I remembered dropping a friend off at her lessons. I imagined the scenes of Good Enough playing out in the landscape around me. Groups of students were lying on blankets in the sun. Others walking together across campus looked like they could easily have been characters in Good Enough. The day was very warm, flowers were blooming (notice the dogwood out in front) and it was a beautiful day for strolling around. Here is the view:

I don’t know if Paula ever went to Elizabeth Park in Hartford, but after Hartt School of Music I headed over there to see the tulips. They were extraordinary.

I will have to go back in June for the Rose Festival. If you love roses and live in New England it is worth the trip. Here is what it looks like without the roses. Just imagine what it will be like when all those hoops are covered with pink, red, yellow, purple, and white buds.

I don’t think I’m done haunting the scene of Good Enough inspiration sites, but that’s all I have for this maiden Lit Trip post.

NaPiBoWriWee

I’ve been writing this week, but none of it has gotten to my blog. I’ve just finished another writing challenge. This time it is NaPiBoWriWee (National Picture Book Writing Week) the brain child of Paula Yoo. The object is to write 7 picture books in 7 days. Not an easy task at all.

I found this challenge much more difficult than NaNoWriMo was for me. I have heard the recommendation that picture books be no more than 600 words. That translates to a total of 4,200 words or less in 7 days. Compared to writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days it should be simple, right? Wrong. Perhaps it is the very fact that instead of writing 1,600 words a day you can only write 600. Each day you tackle an entire story arc. With the month long challenge and one novel, you let it simmer. Your characters have time to develop, interact with your day (in your head of course), and you can work on the filler stuff. With NaPiBoWriWee you have to do it all each day. It’s exhausting. The nineteen ideas I had before the challenge started don’t all seem to appeal and I find I’m coming up with new ideas about half of the days.

So I have found out many things about myself.

• It is easier for me to write a middle grade or YA novel than a picture book.

• Coming up with an idea is not the same as coming up with a story.

• I’m wordy.

• Sitting down to write a story which you don’t think is going to work, works sometimes.

• Writing a picture book a day is exhausting and suddenly I’d rather do anything, but write one. Vacuuming starts to look like a leisure time pursuit.

• Everyone else has story ideas which sound great.

• My drafts make me think that the most I could hope for in a review is “…an additional purchase.”

• I’m sympathizing more with students when they whine “…but I don’t know what to write!”

• I haven’t found my pace writing picture books.

• My drafts are either too long or too short.

• Brain Drain was so severe that I put a “d” in the word onomatopoeia in class today.

• I’m teaching differently as a result of this challenge. I’m more talking with students about word choice, editing, writing, what works in a story and what doesn’t. Sometimes I suggest we change a detail of a story and ask them to reflect on whether they think the story will work just as well or whether it could be better/worse. These were not things I discussed with my young charges before.

• I’m choosing books differently. Haven’t quite figured out how to explain the difference, but I know there is one.

• I am now picking up picture books and saying “What were they thinking?” I guess I am becoming more selective.

I'm sure I'll think of something else once I finish the blog post.

Participating in a challenge like this is a great way to make yourself do the work. In reality, I could set myself this challenge any week I choose. It wouldn’t be the same, though. The group mentality of it, the camaraderie, the opportunity to become acquainted with many talented people, to offer and receive encouragement all added greatly to the experience. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me through Paula Yoo’s blog, Twitter or in my physical surroundings. You helped me to learn so much more.

To Paula Yoo, deepest thanks. Paula not only took on the monumental task of coordinating the event, but also of putting together a month of encouragement beforehand, daily words of encouragement during the event and put so much heart into the event.

Sharp Scissors

I cut my hand last week. How, you may ask? Well, I was doing a librarian thing. I was telling a story. You see, I find that kids love those fold and cut stories. I devised, quite cleverly if I do say so myself a series of folds and cuts which would tell the story of Cinderella, show her dress in beautiful detail and then fold out to be a crown which could be worn on a child’s head. How clever I thought myself! The paper had to be folded multiple times. Well, just when I was about to unveil the beautiful dress I cut through the paper and into my hand. Having elected to use the “big girl scissors” the slice was clean and swift. I was able to finish off the item before my hand bled too much. Lucky for me, the school nurse is a gem. She showed no hesitation in bandaging me up multiple times that day. The cut was positioned in such a way as to make it near impossible to keep a bandage interested in staying put.

For the rest of the week I had to explain the large bandage or the rubber glove I wore over my liquid bandaid. It kept my wound safe from the inevitable germs which must be braved if you work with little ones who still put their hands in their mouths. So I turned my lesson to one of safety. Worried that the students be afraid of the glove or the wound, we discussed both and took the opportunity to discuss safety issues. I showed them the “big girl scissors” I had used on that fateful day alongside a pair of children’s safety scissors. We compared and contrasted their features. We discussed their safety features. And we voted. Guess which pair they wanted me to use?

Needless to say, I gave up the crown - at least for this week. I also gave up trying to be neat. Now I let the paper fall to the floor and pick it up later. Trying to hold, cut and catch simultaneously is what gave me this wound. So I dreamed up another fold and cut which requires me to cut through just the two layers of paper. As I wanted to read variations on the Cinderella theme, I chose to recreate the slippers. Students identified elements of the original story through prompts. The paper was then cut to produce a shape to represent each element. Finally I asked what Cinderella left behind to help the prince find her. They were delighted to see the paper cut into the glass slipper.

They were even more delighted to see me open the paper to unite the two slippers so that the prince could realize he had found the girl of his dreams. Watching the amazement on their faces was a joy. Even boys who had groaned when they heard we would be reading a variation on the Cinderella theme were jumping up to participate.

Ways to add value to your fold and cut story

1. Don’t worry if each cut doesn’t really graphically represent the story element. The kids don’t really care. If I want to cut a triangular shape I do think about ways I can reflect that in the story or visa versa. Still, students will be anxiously trying to guess what you are cutting. They will be too busy to critique your matching skills.

2. DO NOT try to hold the paper and catch it with one hand. That is how I got my wound. Let it fall to the floor and pick it up later. Better yet, don’t stop the child who is picking it up for you. You can also position a recycling container near your seat if it doesn’t get in the way of the visuals of your storytelling.

3. Tell the children that you will be folding the paper in half. Ask how many times you have to fold to do so. Ask how many sections you will have if you fold in half. Ask what will happen if you cut one side. Introduce/reinforce the word symmetrical. By doing this you will be working on geometry skills. Our kindergarten students know the word symmetrical. Yours can too.

4. Be creative. Sometimes I tell the story. Sometimes I ask questions and make a cut for each answer. In the case of Cinderella, I asked leading questions about the storyline. “Who was the person who helped Cinderella?” We then went on to read other variations on the Cinderella theme. Comparing and contrasting the versions made this more than a simple reading session, though that would have been just fine with me.

5. Use safety scissors. Really do try to avoid bleeding on the prize.

6. If you feel so compelled, you can double up the paper to make two prizes at once. I don’t recommend this for several reasons, but you can if you need to. If there are too many layers you are more likely to cut yourself. I stand as proof. Also, the paper tends to slip a bit and the figures don’t always come out the symmetrical works of art you are looking for. Also, there is magic in winning the prize which is unique and made just for you.

7. Vary your paper color for some fun.

8. Use books to get ideas, but once you have run through the ideas you CAN start to make your own patterns. Really. You can.

9. Do not think that you are wasting time. Children really enjoy these stories. I used them successfully one year. The next year I was so worried about covering other things that I let them go. Students who had them the year before were constantly asking for them. One day I decided to do one and I realized how much they got from them and how to make them value added. In addition when I started doing them after the hiatus, the adults clapped their hands and told me it was their favorite part of library. Anything which makes people really want to come see you adds value.

10. Make it enjoyable.



What was the magic for me? Spring fever has hit. Yet students were on their best behavior hoping to win that piece of paper. That’s the best thing I could ask from any fairy godmother.

My Phone - the iPhone

After much thinking, researching and drooling, I finally purchased an iPhone. That was about 3 weeks ago. It’s funny. The day I bought it, I really didn’t have time to explore it. In fact, I couldn’t even make a phone call. Each day I’ve learned something new and discovered a new way to make this piece of equipment work for me.


The other day I went to the doctor and had to wait for a lengthy amount of time. Now I can enjoy doing nothing as much as anyone, but I had a great deal of work to do for school, including developing lesson plans. So I sat in the waiting room with my plan book and pencil. I got to the point when I needed to know the state standards to go with the plans. So I whipped out my iPhone, pulled up the DESE page and found the standards I wanted to use. I know that I could have taken notes on the computer, but I’ll freely admit that I wrote them in pencil on the paper. Not a remarkable use of technology, perhaps. However, what was significant was that I was able to use that time to move forward with the tasks I needed to accomplish despite the rearrangement of my schedule. Some people will tell me that it would have been better if I had just relaxed. Getting my work done while waiting gave me the opportunity to relax at home with people I want to relax with. More to the point, I was able to use the time wisely and avoid getting nervous, fidgety or mad.

I'm starting to understand more of what David Weinberger was talking about in Everything is Miscellaneous. (see my post Book Which Changed Everything) The opportunities for interconnectivity and immediacy are exponential.

Newbery Course with KT Horning

I haven't been blogging in the past six weeks. I just finished an online course through ALSC. The course, The Newbery Medal: Past, Present and Future, is led by the indomitable KT Horning. So instead of posting to my blog, I've been reading like crazy and posting to the course discussions.

I have wanted to take this class since I first heard about it. Several times I saw it listed and wanted to sign up so badly I could taste it. Each time the timing was unthinkable. This time I was not feeling much time on my hands. By all reckoning I was as busy as I ever have been. This time when I saw the course offering I thought “If not now, when?” So I signed up and had my mind expanded.

The cast of characters taking the course was rich and varied. The course is well planned out, the content is thoughtful and the experience has been really enlightening for me. Some of my long held beliefs have been shattered and new understanding is awakening in me. I am much richer for the experience. I would recommend this course to anyone with an interest in the Newbery Medal. I understand that the course will be offered again in the summer.

Between reading David Weinberger’s book in January and taking this course this month, my intellect has been stretched in new ways. It will take the rest of the year to digest and implement what I have learned. Meanwhile, I have a stack of books which have been waiting for me to get to them while I've been reading Newberys.

Teens Discuss Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Yesterday I had the opportunity to talk with two middle school students who had just seen Percy Jackson and the Olympians – The Lightning Thief. Both of these students were enthusiasts of the books. They have both read all the books in the series and the supplementary books. Multiple times. I have heard their fervor in looking forward to the movie. The level of anticipation for this event was extreme. Their attitude after watching it was… how do I say it nicely? Not so enthusiastic.


For a period of time which lasted for longer than the duration of the movie in question, these two intelligent teens deconstructed the film. They quoted specific parts of the book and how the movie reinterpreted the scenes. Well, they did not use those words. They did not always use words I can put in print. The changes in plot, age, hair color, scenery, character, personality and technological advances were all roundly abused. They were especially disparaging of Grover’s lack of Rasta hat and that there was no mention of enchiladas. I played the devil’s advocate and asked why they thought the film makers made the decisions they made. I posed questions of audience, economic considerations, and time factors. They rallied with their own opinions about why certain decisions were made, made assessments about whether the decision could be tolerated or not and ventured to suggest alternative solutions to the problem.

It was bound to happen. When you love a series of books as much as they do you are bound to have issues with any interpretation.

What struck me was how well they were able to perform the tasks outlined in our state standards for ELA (English Language Arts) particularly General Strand 26 – Analysis of Media. (see page 95 of the frameworks) They were doing a thorough job of analyzing media, plot, characterization, visual literacy and numerous other things I haven’t thought of. Too bad their teachers couldn’t hear them in action covering standards which they sometimes fail to come up to on standardized tests.

We are preparing our students with 21st Century Skills to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. Standards for the 21st Century Learner were designed to address this. So many of the very things we want our students to accomplish were played out in front of me. I found myself feeling confident that our youth can navigate these waters. In many cases they can do it better than we can, if we will only step out of their way and let them achieve. On their own terms. Which is what we are preparing them for anyway. Let’s face it. We are openly acknowledging that we are preparing today’s students for a world which is changing so rapidly that it does not exist yet. We are preparing them for careers which have not have been thought of yet. That’s what P21 is all about. So they need that independence of mind and the ability to make connections. The challenge is to guide in ways which encourage this type of conversation. I have not mastered this. Not yet. But I have taken up the quest.

When I asked them whether they want to see the next movie in the series, as they assured me there would be one, they both gave an emphatic “Yes”. They are eager to begin the act of analysis and curious to see how the film makers will tackle the challenges they have presented themselves by messing with the story as outlined in the books. Do I have confidence in these youth? A resounding yes and I am just as interested in seeing how they navigate the challenges of their story which will be messed with by the advances in technology which will surely come.

ALA Conference in Boston

Yesterday I went to the American Library Association Midwinter Conference which is being held in Boston. It was my first ALA conference. My original plan had been to be there to soak up every single minute of it, but life got in the way. So yesterday was it.

This was my first view of the exhibition hall:

I hit the ground running and didn’t look up for an hour. I’d made it down half a row. There was so much to see, so many new books to sample, myriad ideas for using materials we already have or soon will, that it was impossible to see it all.

While I was at the conference I learned that AASL has voted to use the term “school librarian” to refer to librarians working in schools. I understand that the decision was not taken lightly and that many hours of debate went into the decision.

The experience of going was just what I needed. I met new people, found books which are just the thing to fill a need in our library back home, was inspired by new ideas I saw and generally got charged up and re-inspired. Coming home, taking the things out of the bags and organizing them made it fresh all over again. I’ve returned with new ideas for how to use Ellison Die Cuts, a variety of prizes to motivate students, and plenty of advance copies to read.

It was a wonderful day.

Teaching Folktales

Part of the curriculum for our small charges includes teaching about folktales. Trying to teach about folktales is not the same thing as reading them. What exactly do we want 5 and 6 year olds to remember about folktales? Is the ability to tell particular tales the most important aspect? Is it the fact that they can identify different sorts of folktales – creationist, por quoi tales, trickster tales, tall tales etc.? Moreover, how to select which folktales will be used for these lessons?

The Massachusetts English Language Arts Curriculum Framework defines folktales as:

Folktale: a short narrative handed down through oral tradition, with various tellers and groups modifying it, so that it acquired cumulative authorship. Most folktales eventually move from oral tradition to written form.

This week I tried something new to illustrate the idea of how folktales develop. I chose a student to be the storyteller. The student stood up next to me. Then I told a story, really a number of facts about a colorful aunt I had. The storyteller then had to retell the story to the class. We had three or four people try their hand at retelling it. The results were hilarious and sometimes heartwarming. Needless to say, the story took on a life of its own. Sometimes the changes were unintentional, but several of the students were natural embellishers. I took care to mention that these acts of omission or clear fabrication were part of the process a story had to go through to become folklore.

To me, hearing the story of my aunt who lived in a lemon grove, turn into a story about my father who lived in a lemon, was shear magic.

MSLA 2009

I’ve been attending the MSLA annual conference this weekend. I always look forward to this conference. There is so much to see, learn and ponder over. I never leave without ideas for implementing in our school. Sometimes it is overwhelming and I wonder how I will rise to the challenge. Sometimes it takes months before I even really comprehend some of the things the speakers and trainers share with us. I wonder how many things I never get. Every year I come back and find something new to stretch me and make me go farther than I thought I could go. I’m so grateful that I live in a place with so many great role models.

Yesterday morning I had the great pleasure to hear one of my favorite authors, Mitali Perkins, in a session on Books Between Cultures. I’ve read all her books, I follow her website, her blogs and yet seeing her presenting I saw a whole new facet of what she offers. Those of you who have her come visit your schools are truly fortunate.

Two great days of great inspiration, sharing of knowledge, and considering future. I have been inspired, affirmed, renewed, challenged, stretched and invigorated. Thanks MSLA.

Questions

As I continue to think about teaching information fluency skills several things keep coming back to me. Really fundamental to the whole process of research is that very first step: asking questions.

In working through KWL charts and other tasks I found that our students really didn't know how to ask questions. Many of them weren't comfortable with asking questions and even less so with the grammatical structure necessary to be successful questioners. Even some of our most inquisitive students were not able to consistantly ask grammatically correct questions. When you consider that English is not the first language for some of our students, unlocking the mechanics of question making is a considerable, yet very valuable, undertaking.

Having rolled these thoughts over in my mind, I decided to make question asking central to the mission of our library. To this end I designed and created this quilt last summer. The finishing touches weren't completed until November.

Each day I see the quilt hanging in the library and it inspires me all over again. I like question asking to be encouraged in our library. For this reason I try never to disrespect questions our students ask - even ones which make me squirm. Students often ask questions like "How old are you?" or "What's that mark on your face?" or (my favorite) "What happened to your hair?" After saying that as the librarian I like to encourage questions of all sorts, I explain that some adults will think it is rude for children to ask those questions. It's funny that adults often ask these same questions of children. Sometimes we answer the questions, sometimes we talk about how to find the answer. I always want them to feel free to ask questions. It's how we begin our journey.