Post Script on Teacher-Librarian Collaboration and MIL Workshop for ALLPI

Dear ALLPI,

It's been a week since our workshop on Teacher and Librarian Collaboration and Media and Information Literacy. Thank you very much for making the workshop a meaningful experience for me. As always, I learned from the experience as well. Your presence and cooperation pushes me to improve my training module and the approach I can use the next time I get to do a similar workshop.

Among the many insights I gained from our workshop last week, it is the concept that MIL is a process - something we can work on together in steps and in progression. And while you may be connecting the dots on what you gained from the workshop with actual practice, I am sending these links your way to further enhance, enrich or support your understanding and competencies in MIL.

Read on! Take note. Write down your questions or what struck you along the way.

If you are new to assessment and the tools necessary to undergo diagnoses of skills and competencies, I recommend this PPT by Marjorie Pappas (2009). In her presentation, she explains the different kinds of assessments and the tools that are appropriate for each one. I particularly like the strategies and graphic organizers she identified for self-assessment not only on IL skills, but on creative and critical thinking skills applied in communication arts.

For specific rubrics and criterion based assessment tool on IL, here are three websites and links to each of them.

Information Literacy Skills Assessment for Students 
This assessment on IL is a free online assessment tool designed by the Kent State University Libraries. All you need is to get an account, verify it and you can use the assessment tool, known as TRAILS, for one-on-one, small group or class sessions.

Information Literacy Value Rubric for Projects and Finished Research Work - 
This is a PDF of an IL rubric to assess students' achievement on IL skills applied in creating and communicating a project or a research work. The PDF can be downloaded for free.

RAILS Rubric Assessment of Information Literacy Skills is list of assessment tools on IL skills and its sub-skills. You need to log in to get free rubrics and even contribute your own. Of the three, this is may favorite because, I am able to choose which is applicable for my students, my workshop participants and colleagues who need my help and assistance.

That's it for now. Do give me feedback or ask questions on the links I recommended.

Convo on Phonetics and the Whole Language Approach 1 of 2

A friend who is based in the US sent me a private message three years ago asking for my opinion on phonetics and the Whole Language Approach. After three years, I am making the "big reveal" in the blog. Let's call my friend, Mommy LPM. She asked the question so she can teach her then 3 year old daughter the basics of reading.

Mommy LPM: Zars, I need your opinion about phonetics and whole reading approaches. One is an old school approach while the other is a constructivist approach. Which one is better? I'm teaching my 3 year old how to read and I'm confused which one to use. Btw, where do teaching sight words fall under?

ZarahG: You can start with whole language for your daughter. The advantage with whole language is that, you are building on experience and context if reading wholistically. This way when she reaches an age where she shows signs of decoding readiness, she can do basals or word attack skills. Good luck and have fun! One of the greatest joys of parenthood is to see and hear a child read aloud!

Mommy LPM: Thanks. We're still in the process. Clueless where to begin because I was never a Pre-K teacher.

ZG: Read signs and logos when you shop around town. Sing songs and chant nursery rhymes. Keep talking to her at home on routines and stuff you do together. Read aloud picture books with her. If there's tv and iPad at home, engage her in conversation. She's acquiring language at this point and her brain is like a sponge! So soak her up on language experience activities. Involve the senses, too: play dough, water games, plant in the garden. Do some process activities with her: zipping up her coat, up and down, lacing her sneakers, shower time is a learning experience too.

Mommy LPM: I see. So my husband and I were actually doing some of the things you've mentioned like the STOP sign. I actually posted names of things around the house such as CLOCK, TABLE etc. I let her play abcya.com and she likes it so much. Still she can't read on her own yet. Am I rushing her?

ZG: Emergent reader pa lang siya. Relax. Show her the wonder of the world with words

Part 2 will be about Whole Language teaching and resources for parents and teachers in the K-3 levels.

Hosting an Author Visit and Storytelling Session

I am happy reading aloud my published picture books to kids at Perps.

As a published and an international award winning author, I have my share of wonderful experiences visiting schools for the conduct of talks and workshops about reading, writing and book making. Part of my program is a read aloud and storytelling session of one or two of my published picture books.

It is always a joy to see the faces of young children light up with wonder. They giggle, gasp and grasp a classmates hand during events in the story that are funny, exciting and surprising. Connection between storyteller and listener happens. It is magical!

In a recent author visit I had at the Grade School Department of the University of Perpetual Help System (Perps), I had magical moments with the K-3 students there. Their response to stories is amazing. They warmed up to Daddy Elephant, laughed at little brother every time Big Sister annoys him, and followed on the heroic journey of Mother Cat. It is my honor to share these stories with them, the ones I created and the ones that matter to me.

With the support of my publisher, Lampara Books, I get to experience, first hand, the wonder, fun and curiosity that rest in the heart and mind of a listening child. It inspires me to keep on writing. I thank the librarians of Perps for having me last November 30 for this visit. I am grateful to my learning commnity, The Beacon Academy, for allowing me to network and touch base with our neighbors in Binan.

Here now is a set of tips for school librarians who wish to have a smashing Author Visit.

1. First of all, an Author Visit must be planned early on. It is scheduled way ahead of time for logistics and budgetary concerns. It is therefore important that the librarian knows who to invite so that, the author's professional fees, transportation, meal allowance and needed equipment and materials are all in place. The program, venue of the visit and the audience, the objectives and the purpose of the visit need to be spelled out.

2. Most school systems require a proposal for this activity. Librarian managers need to allot a budget for this event. Including this event in the regular staff meeting is essential. It gets everyone involved. The Author Visit becomes a community event. The librarian in charge of the event works works with teachers and even parents in organizing the visit. Usually, the Author Visit is part of a bigger event for example, Teen Read Week, National Book Week, Poetry Month, International Literacy Day, National Children's Book Week, etc.

3. When the plan and proposal has been approved by the school administration, the librarian can begin the logistical preparations.

4. Send the author an invitation, either through his/her contact address or through the publisher.

5. Invite the publisher to display and sell the author's books and schedule in a book signing session. Authors get a lot from engaging with their readers. Your role, as a librarian, is to bridge the reader to the book and its author.

6. Promote the visit a week or two before the actual event. Prepare flyers, announce the event at assemblies, school websites and newsletters.

7. Work with teachers for curriculum tie-ins. Even guidance counselors may find the visit beneficial in helping young people find out what their interests in life are. This can pave the way to knowing one's vocation.

8. Have a post Author Visit activity. Writing the author letters is one of the many post activities you can do. Authors often reply, thus, the connection deepens and you, librarian, you now find yourself a part of the creative process.

9. Send the author a thank you via email or the traditional snail mail. You can invite him/her again, thus, the author becomes a resource person who will help you teach, educate and guide young people in their learning.

10. Evaluate the Author Visit. Start by looking at the objectives. Were they met? How? What areas need improvement? Write this all in a report and submit it to the Librarian manager. Documentation of activities helps you chart your growth, as well as the library's.

Author Visits can be fun! Tiring, yes. But kids and young people learn a lot from the experience. And yes, even the authors whom you invite over.

Zarah Gagatiga accepts library consultancy and professional development training sessions for teachers, aspiring writers and novice school librarians. 

Her author visit programs are fun, exciting and filled with learning activities. With Zarah Gagatiga, you have a BLAST: Blogger, Librarian, Author, Storyteller and Teacher. 

Get in touch with her! Her email address is: zarah.gagatiga@gmail.com