Required Reading and Research in the High School Library

For the past three years, I have been requiring our high school students to borrow books from the library. Each grade level has a minimum book quota: grade 9 = 20 books; grade 10 = 30 books; grade 11 = 40 books; and grade 12 = 50 books. This means, a student who belongs to his or her grade level will have to borrow the corresponding number of books.

Through this activity, I discovered that 15-20% of the student population are readers. They are the ones who need no prodding or fancy freebies to go to the library and borrow books. The rest comprises reluctant readers and non-book readers. While it is easy to reach the book readers, I still continue the book quota project but with a strategy to help them choose reading materials. That is why this year, during orientation, I launched the Reading Passport with the hope that students are guided in their reading choices. Students favor fiction books but there the non-fiction books to read for a purpose too.

Another strategy that can be done so that reading, books and the library can be meaningful to high school students is the implementation of a library instruction program, a research education program or, an information literacy program. That, my friends is for another post.

For the meantime, allow me to share another reading-library activity that allowed me to collaborate with teachers. This time, I was in cohort with the grade 9 Design teacher. She requested me to do a Library Talk on research where in the basic library research tools are introduced. Since this was my first formal session with the grade 9s, I introduced research as a way to find answers to questions and that, it is understanding the question and the way we find the answers that makes for a successful research. I then segued to the library's OPAC and online subscriptions. View my presentation in this Library Talk link.

From here, I will move on to a grade level activity, our annual Library Scavenger Hunt where the grade 9s will use their skill in locating information using the library OPAC and online subscriptions. Yep. I am one busy library bee!

23 Mobile Things PH SG: Things 17, 18, 19 - Research & Productivity Tools & File Sharing

I have been terribly busy the past weeks. School ended last May and I'm officially on summer vacation.

But.

So, I am catching up on 23 Mobile Things PH SG.

Things 17, 18 and 19 are all familiar tech tools. I have been using Evernote since 2011 as a way to synchronize files on the school library project I am involved in for Sambat Trust UK, a charity that set ups school libraries. Evernote keeps me on track on reports and updates, feedback and news from the charity's director and field coordinator. Since there's a mobile app, I get news from them real time. It's been pretty efficient.

I've downloaded Workflowy in my iPhone. It's very similar to the productivity tools that came with my iPhone apps when I bought it. But it's good to give it a try. Hootsuite is another productivity tool that I use to campaign for the school library projects of Sambat Trust UK. It saves me a lot of time in posting to all my social media accounts. Sadly, much as I want to try Buffer, I need an iOS7 upgrade in my iPhone. I am not yet ready to upgrade for economic reasons.

When Dianne De Las Casas and I were working on Tales From the 7,000 Isles: Filipino Folk Stories (my first book published in the US), we synced work through Dropbox. It was amazing. Now, Dropbox comes with an app. I tried downloading it but, like Buffer, it needs to run in iOS7.

I'm not jumping in the bandwagon.

Here's what I'll do: this summer, I'll include a review of useful apps  that can be used by teachers and students. I'll have the list published in the school's newsletter and posted in the school library's web portal. Indeed, the role of librarians have shifted from keepers of information who provide access to users to facilitators of technology to assist users in the responsible and efficient use of tools for thinking.

Promise, I'll post projects I do and learn from 23 Mobile Things PH SG.

And yes, I am on summer vacation.