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Motivation: The Overlooked Sixth Component of Reading

Motivation: The Overlooked Sixth Component of Reading



I stumbled upon this article on my facebook feed today and as I read, I couldn't help but physically shake my head, YES! YES! YES!!

Connection, Contribution and Competence



Each of the above are essential in the world of teaching and learning and especially important when it comes to reading and literacy.  The author brings up the point that when children start school, things are all exciting and they are ready to learn.  It is somewhere along the way that they lose that motivation and things become difficult for many students. When it comes to reading and books, it is essential that we remember these 3 C's.



Connection - Students must feel connected to what they are reading. It is important to have frequent conversation with students about what they are interested in and what they might enjoy learning more about.  Matching students with a good fit book is not only about finding a book that they can read but about finding a book that they will immensely enjoy reading as well. It is that intrinsic motivation that will enable your students to soar when it comes to reading.  



Contribution - Students want to be able to talk about what they read and what they are learning.  Giving them outlets to do that is essential.



Competence - Lastly, it is important that students are given opportunities to feel successful.  It might be noticing that a student is blogging about a book or taking notes more effectively than before.  Encourage, encourage, encourage!



As we start this year, let's be sure to keep these things in mind.  I truly believe that if a student claims to not like reading, they just haven't found the right book yet.  It is our job to help students make connections, contributions and build competence.

Genrefying!

Right now, I think that I might have more books stacked on tables than on the shelves in the library.  After much discussion with my friends in library land, I have decided that creating genre sections in fiction is the way to go!  To tell the truth, most kids that come in the library looking for a book always ask for a certain genre.  Here's what we hear in the library on a regular basis:
I need a scary book!
Don't you have any good mysteries?
I just want to read something that will make me laugh!

This has been a hot topic in our profession for a while.  This article from School Library Journal gives some insight into reasons why genrefying is beneficial for our students.  At the end of the day, it is all about what helps students to find books that they enjoy.

I will definitely post plenty of pictures of the finished library.

It's all coming together!

The last few weeks, I have spent A LOT of time thinking about how I would like for the library to run and what I want to accomplish in this upcoming school year.  Today, I finally had the time to just sit down and start exploring.  I ran across this blog last week and I revisited it today.  The title is "10 things classroom teachers need to know about modern day librarians."  Here are a few highlights and how they tie in to my library plan for next year.

1)  We hate quiet!  Collaboration and learning does not occur in a quiet, sterile environment.  The library should be just as busy and vibrant as a classroom.  Students should be exploring, creating and discussing.  This is the type of environment I hope to cultivate in the library next year.

2)  We love collaboration!  This directly related to number one.  Librarians did not pursue the career that they are in so that they can sit in the library all day hidden behind a desk and lots of books.  I personally chose this profession because I am passionate about helping students and teachers learn.  I am passionate about literacy and technology and how the two are intertwined.  Please remember as the school year starts that I am here as a resource to assist you in any way.

3) We are in an ever-changing field! Just like teachers, we are also in a field that changes constantly.  There are new technologies and strategies to explore on a daily basis.  Just think about how much more we can explore and learn when we work together.  

All about Discovery Education

This Wednesday, I am going to spend the entire day teaching about Discovery Education, an awesome tool that is underutilized on most of our campuses.

This resource includes many forms of high quality media that can be used in our classrooms as well as for flipping your classroom. Students are given accounts to log in and all of a sudden you have a virtual classroom.  You can assign students folders of content to explore, writing assignments, quizzes as well as virtual bulletin boards.  Students can turn their work in online and you view and comment right there.

Here is the link to the training site.

https://sites.google.com/site/discoveryeducationcisd2/

For those of you attending, we will wrap up with the following reflection questions: 
1.   What level of technology can be reached using the technology tool in this training?  Why? How? 
2.  How can your students use the technology tool from this training in your curriculum? 

The library should be the heart of the school!!!  This statement encompasses everything about how libraries should fit into our school communities.  The magical thing about a school library is that it pulls us all together.  You have this space, this amazing area in your school where students can come in and learn, explore and create.  Students can be curious, ask questions and find answers.  

The teacher librarian who is seen as an integral part of the campus is indeed a very powerful partner for teachers on campus.  Librarians are experts in informational literacy.  They have been trained to match effective resources with content as well as recommend technology tools.  

My vision for next at Joy James Elementary is for the library to be the most inviting, vibrant place on campus.  I want to see students coming in to the library before school, during school and after school to research, learn and explore.  I would love to see teachers come in to plan and look through resources to see what fits best in their classroom.  I want everyone in our learning community to feel welcome in the library at any time.  

As we all get ready for summer, please know that I am so excited about starting next year.  It is going to be an amazing year and the Joy James Library is going to be EPIC!  

Time for a new start!

As I come to the end of this school year, I have so many thoughts and reflections. I have spent the year carefully dividing my attention between two libraries. I have had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful teachers and students. There were days that I felt that I needed to clone myself in order to survive but throughout all of that, I was honored to be able to create learning opportunities for so many students.

 I am truly excited about the chance to work with the students and teachers at Joy James Elementary next year. My vision is to truly create a strong library program at Joy James that will benefit students, teachers, parents and the community. I envision the library becoming the center of learning and creating on the campus. This year is going to be so exciting!