Thank you for responding to my queries regarding a move from a K-8 school to a
Career and Tech 11th and 12th grade campus. My specific concerns are threefold:
(1) suggestions for a school-wide reading club
(2) high school contests regarding literacy
(3) advice for an old dog learning new tricks
Here is a hit of the great responses I received!
HIT #1
Good luck in your new job. I made the same transition some time back and getting
in the groove of HS reading was one of the challenges. I found that HS students
did not have as much time for reading as I had hoped. Here is a website that gives
some good lists and statistics that you should find helpful.
http://www.quizlistinteractive.com/AcceleratedReader_BookLists.aspx
Jo Lewis, MLS
Staff Librarian
www.quizlistinteractive.com
jo.lewis@comcast.net
HIT #2
Your question was "What books do you recommend for a school-wide reading
club?"
ANSWER: The Boy, The King, and The Chihuahua, which is an RR Bowker
recommended book.
HIT#3
I moved from Elementary (K - 5) to HS (9 - 12) two years ago. I found that kids are
kids are kids, for the most part. Depending on your principal and how much
freedom/control you will to have to engage these kids in reading, you might try
something simple and fun for school-wide reading to begin (like Battle of Jericho
by S. Draper or one of Walter Dean Myers books). If you want something a little
more substantial, maybe And Still We Rise (M. Corwin) or Nickel and Dimed (by D
Ehrenreich).
It is wonderful that the school already has independent reading in place! The
hardest thing for me to do when starting over at a new place was to "listen". I
wanted to go in like a bull in a china shop and change everything around (and that
may be just what your new school needs).
Since you are going to a technical school, I'm guessing ( maybe wrongly) that the
majority of students will be male. If so, I've observed that boys who like to read
rarely pick realistic fiction. They love fantasy and horror (Darren Shan, Meredith
and Pierce, Tamora Pierce, Emily Rodda, Chris Paolini), or they go to non-fiction
and biography. Anything with Hiphop, Tupac, NBA, or Skateboarding catches their
eye. If there are a lot of computers programs, you might think about reading Geeks
(Jon Katz).
Cayla Armatti
Library Media Specialist
Lake Weir High School
Ocala, Florida
(352) 671-4820, or 5-8971
cayla.armatti@marion.k12.fl.us
HIT #4
Setting up a blog for the students to share their thoughts about
books they've read seems to be working well for some of the folk on
the list (you can set it up so that you can moderating
submissions). One of the librarians held a contest to encourage the
kids to submit "booktalks" to--the prize was a $20 gift certificate--
offered as incentive to participate. If you combine something like
this with a good "feed" of booktalks about books that might be of
interest, it could tie in nicely with other activities you're doing.
HIT#5
1.) What high school contests have been successful at your schools regarding
literacy?
Literary couples contest -- you give them the couples, they need to write
down the book
2.) What books do you recommend for a school-wide reading club?
Breathing Underwater -- Alex Flinn
Good for males and females.
Lots to discuss
Easy enough for the less-strong readers
3.) What other advice do you have for an old dog learning new tricks?
Get yourself a copy of Joyce Valenza's PowerTools Recharged!
Make some flashy displays and booklists of good books (I'll see kids walking
around with my lists looking for the books)
Get students involved -- through book suggestions, student monitor
programs, etc.
Don't be surprised if they don't show up right away -- 11th and 12th grade
are high pressure ( the "college?!! life after high school? I need to think
about that NOW??" 11th graders) and then slide into "I'm outta here" (the
"I'm going to college, so why do I have to do anything anymore?" 12th
graders) <grin>
Rena Deutsch, Librarian
Bayard Rustin HS for the Humanities
351 W. 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
renadeutsch@att.net
library site: www.hhslibrary.org
I can't wait to share these ideas with my dean! This listserv is a fantastic
networking tool for our profession.
Laurel W. Jernigan
Cybrarian
Diamond Oaks Career and Technical Institute
Cincinnati, Ohio
ljernigan@cinci.rr.com
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