Text Sets: Push the Thinking…

1. Text Sets: Push the Thinking… Amie Wright: amiewright@bookops.org Olga Nesi: Onesi@schools.nyc.gov Leanne Ellis: lellis3@schools.nyc.gov

2. Welcome Activity: How are you using the MyLibraryNYC program? Take one of the following colors: • Green: If you have registered for BiblioCommons and placed a hold • Pink: If more than 4 teachers at your school have placed holds • Yellow: If you have created lists using BiblioCommons • Blue: If teachers in your school have created lists in BiblioCommons

3. Disclaimer As librarians we all understand the importance of reading for pleasure. We work tirelessly to match children to reading materials that will turn them into lifelong readers and learners. Not one of us is interested in beating the joy of reading out of our students. Determining the instructional purpose for a text does not mean we are abandoning our deep commitment to creating lifelong readers.

4. MyLibraryNYC - Teacher Sets 101 Amie Wright Selection Program Supervisor MyLibraryNYC amiewright@bookops.org/ blogs @ NYPL Want reading recommendations for the classroom? Visit our MyLibraryNYC Bibliocommons Lists Or join the conversation on Pinterest @ TeachNYPLor through our Teachers Blog Channel

5. Top 10 Most Popular Sets • Science: Animals National Geographic Kids. Gr. 2-3 • ELA: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Gr. 2-3 • ELA: Different Lands, Similar Stories - Fairy Tales. Gr. K-3 • Science: Baby Animals. Gr. K-1 • ELA: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Gr. 7-9 • Social Studies: Fighting for a Cause - Civil Rights Picture Books. Gr. 2-3 • Social Studies: Civil Rights. Gr. 6-12 • Science: Animals National Geographic Kids. Gr. K-1 • ELA: Poetry. Gr. K-5 • ELA: Fables. Gr. 2-3 [*popularity determined by circulation #s as of March 2014]

6. Teacher Set FAQs 500+ schools in all 5 boroughs borrowing sets Sets in all subject areas Sets in English and Spanish – hope to add French this summer More than 850 sets added recently – including virtual sets Teacher Sets can be: • Classroom Sets (i.e. 30-35 copies of a single title likeTo Kill a Mockingbird) • Topic Sets with multiple titles (these sets vary from 10-30 copies), or recently added… • Book Club Sets (10-20 copies of a single title likeUglies)

7. How can I tell what set is which…? 3 Things you should always check in a set record: DESCRIPTION – this will often tell you if this is ‘Classroom Set’ or ‘Topic’ as well as providing a description of what the set is FULL RECORD – want more info? Want to know exactly how many copies in the set, and what titles? Click on ‘full record’ for copy info; then click on ‘more’ for Contents info ELECTRONIC RESOURCES – is the set you like out? Click on Electronic Resource list to see the book list for this set and place indiv holds.

8. How does a set get created? Set Creation process includes: Teacher Feedback through • a) outstanding hold lists • b) direct requests Professional expertise re: new materials Overall building of collection to ensure a critical mass

9. How does a set get created? “I requested [title] for a teacher set, but it was never created…why?” For a set to be created the following is needed: • Demonstrated interest from a critical mass of teachers and/or known professional need for the topic • Title must be in print with enough copies available through the publisher to create a set • TIME – I save every request and am creating sets as quickly as I can; but the requests are in a queue which is determined by need and availability of items

10. There is no set for what I am looking for…what next? You can request indiv items to ‘create’ your own set. Don’t know where to start? …..did you know that we have over 100 lists fo suggested books one ducational topics? These lists are crowd-soyurced and are created by NYPL, Brooklyn, and DOE librarians: MyLibraryNYC Bibliocommons Lists

11. There is no set for what I am looking for…what next? OR, assign an ebook for your class. We have just added 100 simultaneous use ebooks. Every in your classroom can read the same book, at the same time. All that is needed is a mobile device or computer.

12. Teacher Sets & the Common Core Teacher Sets supplement existing curriculum units - adding multiple perspectives, high quality nonfiction, and rich texts. Looking for more Common Core materials @ NYPL? Check out our blog Posts on the Common Core and Library collections (from the NYPL Summer Institute for Teachers)

13. “Purposes” for Texts • Pleasure reading • Individual appeal • “Content coverage” • i.e. text on the U.S. Civil War • To teach a particular skill • i.e. Considering multiple perspectives • To “build” or accrete knowledge in a “systematic” way • Scaffold text (to build context/background knowledge on a topic) • Immersion text (to go deeply into a topic) • Extension text (to pursue other avenues of inquiry branching off the main one)

14. Pulling content specific resources vs.Creating a text set for a specific instructional purpose/task

15. Not to muddy the waters, but… “Purposes” are not ever set in stone. One particular text might serve multiple purposes based on a variety of factors: • Grade • Multiple skills/one text • The “scaffold text” becomes an “extension text” if the focus changes.

16. The Question of “Anchor Text”(think Core Curriculum)

17. Assuming the task is to to create a piece of expository writing (CCSS W.2) about the life and work of Wangari Maathai…

18. What are some possible topics of scaffolding texts to go with the anchor textWangari’s Trees of Peace?

19. What are some possible topics of extension texts to go with the anchor text Wangari’s Trees of Peace?

20. Immersion Texts

21. The text set creation template explored

22. An Activity: Play With a Text Set • Examine the books in the text set • Complete the template • Change the “purpose” or task and re-sort the books into any applicable categories that emerge • Read alouds • Informational/narrative • Primary and secondary sources • Unreliable narrator • Multiple perspectives

23. Creating Lists

24. How to create a List • Log into your MyLibraryNYC page • Go to MyLibrary=>MyLists • Click Create a List • Give it a name (see next slide) • List type: Choose K-12 Study Guide

25. Naming Lists • Be certain to follow this format: • MyLibraryNYC_Topic/Content_Grade Level(s) Example: MyLibraryNYC_Science: Life Cycles - Plants & Seeds Set II (Gr. K-1) We want the lists created around MyLibraryNYC to be as accessible and searchable as possible because you can search for a list name or a particular user.

26. List Description • Here is where you want to identify the purpose of the list you created: • Pleasure reading • Individual appeal (ex. “scary books” “dystopian zombie fiction”) • “Content coverage” • i.e. text on the U.S. Civil War, Biomes • To teach a particular skill • i.e. Considering multiple perspectives, unreliable narrator, evidentiary sources • To “build” or accrete knowledge in a “systematic” way • Scaffold text (to build context/background knowledge on a topic) • Immersion text (to go deeply into a topic) • Extension text (to pursue other avenues of inquiry branching off the main one)

27. Adding Books • Do a search for a book • Click on the title of the book to open it up • Click Save to a List (it can be a new list or an existing one)

28. Adding Items • Click Add an Item • You can add either a book from your collection or the public library or a web address • website • another list (each list has its own web address!) • permanent link to a journal or newspaper article

29. Adding annotations • In addition to the list description, you can add annotations to individual items in your list if you want to highlight particular features or purposes of a selected book, website, article, etc.

30. Adding Tags • Another way to highlight features and purposes of books is to add tags. • Some examples: • Drawing conclusions • Primary source • Conflicting viewpoints Users can search by tags. If they come across a specific resource, BiblioCommons displays the lists the book is included in.