Canada Reads Kid Style

1. Canada ReadsKid Style • A Presentation by Jo-Anne Gibson for the • Canadian Library Association Conference • Winnipeg, Manitoba • June 1, 2013 www.ldanp.ca

2. Session Highlights • In this session, participants will: • Learn about the importance of reading and the concept of evidence-based practice • Learn an exciting way and educational way to engage youth in reading and discussing books with others using Web 2.0 tools • Learn about various student readers’ choice award programs throughout Canada that could be used to connect young readers coast to coast with quality and engaging literary works

3. Librarians’ Mandate • Primary mandate of all librarians (school and public): • to instill a love of reading and life-long learning in all our patrons • How is this achieved: • by providing quality reading materials in a variety of formats, genres and levels that will appeal to them and engage their imaginations and intellect • by finding ways to connect readers so they can discuss and deepen their understandings about the materials they have read so that they will want to read and learn even more www.booksdirect.tumblr.com

4. My Assumptions about the Importance of Reading • Being able to read well is the strongest predictor of success in school and life • The number one reason students don’t read more is that they can’t find books they like • One of the best ways to find out about good books (just like adults) is by talking about books with our family and friends

5. Age-old Question • What can I do as a teacher-librarian to encourage my students to read more to facilitate their success in school and life? www,123ef.com www.123rf.com

6. Inspiration for CanadaReads Kid Style • CBC Radio’s annual literary competition hosted by Jian Ghomeshi: • “Launched in 2001, Canada Reads is CBC’s annual battle of the books, where five Canadian personalities each select a book they want Canadians to read. They defend their chosen title in a series of debates, and the books are eliminated one by one until a winner is declared.” www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/about/index.html

7. Lots of Questions • Could I do something similar with students? • Would they enjoy it and learn from it? • Would it help them to become better and more enthusiastic readers? • Who would I use as participants? • What would be our format? • How would we connect? • What books would we use? www.depositphotos.com

8. Gut Feeling • If I could find the right books to promote and incorporate a cool technology tool to promote them with, my students would jump at the chance to share their opinions about the books they have read with other students and have fun choosing a “winning” book, too!

9. Evidence-based Practice • Gut feelings aside, as a teacher-librarian conscious of the need to ensure that what I do in school makes a difference in student achievement, what curricular outcomes would a program like Canada Reads Kids Style address and what would be the evidence or proof of student learning and engagement?

10. Curricular Outcomes • Manitoba English Language Arts Curricula Grades 7, 8, 9 • Global Learning Outcome 1: Students will listen speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences. • 1.1.1 Express Ideas • 1.1.2 Consider Others’ Ideas • 1.1.3 Experiment with Language and Form • 1.1.4 Express Preferences • 1.2.2 Explain Opinions

11. Global Learning Outcome 2: Students will listen speak, read, write, view, and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, literary, and media texts. • 2.1.1 Prior Knowledge • 2.2.1 Experience Various Texts • 2.2.2 Connect Self, Texts, and Culture • 2.2.3 Appreciate the Artistry of Texts • 2.3.1 Forms and Genres • 2.3.2 Techniques and Elements • 2.3.5 Create Original Texts

12. Global Learning Outcome 4: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of communication. • 4.1.1 Generate Ideas • 4.2.2 Revise Content • 4.2.4 Enhance Artistry • 4.2.5 Enhance Presentation • 4.4.2 Effective Oral Communication • 4.4.3 Attentive Listening and Viewing

13. General Learning Outcome 5: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to celebrate and to build community. • 5.1.1 Compare Responses • 5.1.4 Celebrate Special Occasions • 5.2.1 Cooperate with Others • 5.2.2 Work in Groups • 5.2.3 Use Language to Show Respect • 5.2.4 Evaluate Group Process • Literacy with ICT • Use technology ethically and responsibly

14. Evidence of Learning • Number of books read • Written piece describing reasons for book chosen to defend • Oral presentation of written piece • Participation in group process • Active listening as audience member • Written piece describing reasons why they voted as they did • Demonstration of their ability to use technology responsibly • Reflection of the entire process • Student engagement

15. Planning Process www.planonthenet.com • Invited an ELA teacher to collaborate with me on this project and we began to plan together • Gave the project a catchy title to excite students: Battle of the Books • Identified specific student learning outcomes, assessment, timeline • Decided to use Skype and Poll Daddy as the technology sharing tools • Decided on a format for “the battle” • Decided on the books to use • Identified and contacted a class/participants to Skype with

16. Battle of the Books #1 www.mbes.com • Started small with a teacher-librarian in the same school division that I had worked with before (Heather Eby from Linden Meadows School) • Chose “I Love to Read Month” in February to host the battle • Used books from the Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award program that the students had been reading since September • Discussed the project with the students using clips from the actual Canada Reads website • Students from both schools chose their top five books to defend

17. Working in groups, the students wrote a one to two-minute persuasive speech about why their book was the best and deserved to win the book battle • In their presentations, students discussed: • the author and their previous works • the elements of fiction and storytelling techniques that added to the quality of writing • the genre of the book • their emotional reactions to the book • Using Skype, the students from each school alternated “selling” their books to each other (we flipped a coin to see who would go first) • Using Poll Daddy, which was created and linked to the Acadia Library website before the battle started, the students voted for their favorite book (not favorite school) and a winning book was declared! • The students completed a reflection sheet of the process and their reaction to it

19. Mini Lessons www.core3solutions.com • Throughout the process, the teachers supported the students in a variety of ways in order to make the event a positive learning experience for all. This support was provided in a series of mini-lessons to the entire group and individual support where necessary. These lessons included: • a presentation of all the books on the MYRCA list that the students could choose from • persuasive speech writing techniques • elements of fiction, good storytelling techniques • effective oral presentations keeping in mind the audience • acceptable audience participation and use of ICT

20. What is a Persuasive Speech? • It’s a speech designed to persuade an audience to believe the same thing as the speaker • It uses words to move the audience to accept the speaker’s point of view • It guides the audience to act on this new belief or conviction

21. Parts of a Persuasive Speech • Introduction: Begins with a strong opening statement and outlines what the speaker wants the audience members to believe • Body: Contains at least three points, including reasons and examples that support the topic sentence • Conclusion: Restates main idea and gives call to action

22. Persuasive Speech Checklist • My speech: • has a strong topic sentence • has a minimum of three supporting sentences • has a strong concluding sentence that calls someone to take action • includes words that stimulate an emotional response • reflects the audience • is the required length • has been transferred to cue cards with one main idea on each card • has been rehearsed and speaker has a strong grasp of the content • delivery is loud, clear and spoken at a moderate pace

23. Elements of Fiction • theme • plot • setting • characters • climax • humour • suspense • point of view • use of language • genre • conflict • resolution

24. Written Speech Assessment

25. Oral Speech Assessment

26. Timeline • Presentation of project: 1 class (40 minute classes) • Presentation of books: 1 class (September) • Reading: over the course of several months • Persuasive speech writing and story elements(1 class) • Speech writing (2/3 classes) • Effective presentation and listening skills; practice speeches (1 class) • Class presentations (2 classes) • Skype session (1 class) • Reflection: (1 class) www.darrenburnhill.com

27. Battle of the Books #2 • After the success of our first book battle, I invited a school from Scarborough, Ontario, where I knew the teacher-librarian (Diana Maliszewski, Agnus McPhail School), to take part • For this battle, we used the books from our MYRCA list and they used books from their Red Maple list • We used the same format as the first battle but because we were in difference provinces, at the beginning of the Skype session, we spent a few minutes telling each other about our schools, city and province (we prepared this ahead of time)

28. Book Battle in Session Text Winnipeg

29. Scarborough

30. Skype from Scarborough

31. Skype from Winnipeg

32. Student Polls

34. Battle of the Books #3 • This time, several schools in the Scarborough area wanted to participate so the those schools met altogether at their public library for the Skype session • This format took a lot more coordination between the schools but it was really fun to have lots of student participants and voters

35. Battle of the Books #4 • Just for fun and to promote our MYRCA books right before voting time, we hosted a Skype session with another class in our school division where we tried to stump the other students with questions we had prepared about the books • The winning class was determined by the class who answered the most questions correctly

36. Battle of the Books #5 • I made a connection at the OLA Superconference (Feb. 2013) with a teacher-librarian from St. Joseph’s High School in Ottawa (Sarah Murray) • This battle was similar to the battle with Scarborough; we each defended three books from our respective young adult book award lists and also talked about the uniqueness of our schools, cities and provinces • Survey Monkey was used as the tabulation tool

37. Ottawa Winnipeg

40. Results of the Battles • My students’ writing was more focused since they knew there was going to be an audience of their peers • My students were genuinely interested and excited to meet the other students especially those in another province and learn something new about their country • My students were respectful while online • My students were keen to read some of the books that either their own classmates made presentations on or the presentations made by other students

41. Technical Requirements • Install Skype (a free program) www.skype.com • Web cam and microphone (if purchasing, don’t go for the cheapest model because the quality of the picture and sound is affected greatly) or a camera/microphone within a laptop • Internet connection (Skype works best via a network rather than through wi-fi) • Arrange for your Skype partner’s contact information and practice accessing each other via Skype well before the students arrive; I practiced a “dry run” the day before every presentation to make sure everything was working correctly • Prepare polls on Survey Daddy, Survey Monkey or Edmodo in advance and share the link with all teachers involved; I hosted my polls on my library website

42. Alternative Polling Method

44. Alternative Online Book Sharing Tools • Wikis: www.pbworks.com • Edmodo: www.edmodo.com • Blogs: www.blogger.com • Voicethread: www.voicethread.com • Weebly Websites: www.weebly.com

45. Canada Reads Kid Style Across Canada • There are student readers’ choice awards at various age levels, in English and French, throughout Canada so this program could be done with young people from coast to coast just like the original CBC production: • Canada Wide: • The Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards - www.arts.on.ca

46. Saskatchewan: • The Willow Awards - www.willowawards.ca • Shining Willow - young readers • Diamond Willow - grades 4 to 6 • Snow Willow - grades 7 to 9 • Alberta: • Golden Eagle Book Award - www.goldeneaglebookaward.com • Juvenile Fiction - grades 4 to 7 • Rocky Mountain Book Award - www.rmba.lethsd.ab.ca • Fiction - grades 4 to 7

47. British Columbia: • Chocolate Lily Awards - www.chocolatelilyawards.com • Picture Books - grades K to 4 • Chapter Books - grades 3 to 6 • Novels - grades 5 to 8 • Red Cedar Award - www.redcedaraward.ca • Information Books - grades 4 to 7 • Fiction Books - grades 4 to 7 • Stellar Award - www.stellaraward.ca • Novels - ages 13 to 19

48. Atlantic Book Awards: • Hackmatack - www.hackmatack.ca • English Fiction - grades 4 to 6 • English Non-Fiction - grades 4 to 6 • French Fiction - grades 4 to 6 • French Non-Fiction - grades 4 to 6 • Manitoba: • Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award - www.myrca.ca • Novels - grades 5 to 8

49. Ontario: • Forrest of Reading - www.accessola.org • Blue Spruce - grades K to 2 • Silver Birch Express - grades 3 to 6 • Silver Birch Fiction - grades 3 to 6 • Silver Birch Non-Fiction - grades 3 to 6 • Red Maple Fiction - grades 7 to 8 • Red Maple Non-Fictions - grades 7 to 8 (every 2 years) • White Pine - grades 9 to 12 • Le Prix Tamarak Fiction - grades 3 to 6 • Le Prix Tamarak Non-Fiction - grades 3 to 6

50. Alaska/Alberta/British Columbia/Idaho/Montana/Washington: • Pacific Northwest Library Association - www.pnla.org/yrca • Junior Division - grades 4 to 6 • Middle Division - grades 7 to 9 • Senior Division - grades 10 to 12 Information about Student Choice Book Awards in Canada courtesy of Diana Maliszewski