ways to make reading rock bill lowenburg – stroudsburg high school session b5 may 2, 2014...

WAYS TO MAKE READING ROCKBill Lowenburg – Stroudsburg High School

Session B5

May 2, 2014

Lowenbur@sburg.org

(Website links on final slide)

Welcome!• This morning’s objectives:

• Sharing ways we promote reading at Stroudsburg High School, Pleasant Valley High School, and your school.

• Brief discussion of hardware and software considerations.

• Utilizing WordPress as a library platform to promote reading.

• Organizing a “Why Reading Rocks” student video contest.

SSR: Sustained Silent Reading

• English classes read 2-3 times per week for about 20 minutes.

• No assessments or journals

• Reading-writing connection – Creative Writing, Film Studies teacher supports SSR

• Correlation with rise in PSSA/Keystone scores – diverse student population

Professional Development: Reading Apprenticeship• Originally we tried to include Social Studies in SSR, but…

• Several Social Studies and other subject area teachers have benefitted from RA training.

• Our fourth district cohort group of 9-12 teachers is receiving Reading Apprenticeship training this summer. (~25 total to date)

SHS Library Peer Tutoring Program• Over 75 students involved this year.

• Four seniors, two juniors run the program. Excellent role models: English department Love of Reading Award

• Locations: high school library, Middle School, Eastern Monroe Public Library, and at home

• Peer tutors have run two SAT/ACT prep sessions

• Facebook page, Wordpress

Promoting reading in the community: Eastern Monroe Public Library Teen Advisory Group

Extending the library with Overdrive

Overdrive for Fiction• Ebook delivery system – platform independent

• Majority of titles are fiction

• Will provide access to > 500 books the first year.

• Available at consortium pricing in some areas

• Combined cost for HS and JHS: $2,300

Ebsco Ebook Collection - nonfiction

• High School Collection: 7,500 titles

• Cost: $1,795

• Nonfiction – excellent for research

• Academic Collection: 120,000 titles, includes High School Collection

• Cost: $2,500/yr

Reading on Electronic Devices• BYOD vs One-to-one program

• Stroudsburg headed toward BYOD

• In search of the “best” device to recommend to students.

• Mr. Thornton’s Spreadsheet

IRULU 10” $98.00

With Keyboard Holder

Summer Reading Program

Graphic Novel Society

WordPress Library Blog/Websitehttp://mountielibrarylinks.wordpress.com/

Wordpress Dashboard

“Why Reading Rocks” Video Contest

Video Contest Guidelines

“Why Reading Rocks” Video Contest

Additional Resourceshttp://cslpreads.org/

Tips for video making• Produce a series of short “example” videos to encourage

participation.

• Have an easily-accessible website where videos and contest instructions can be viewed.

• Include a “one continuous shot” category of 30-60 seconds in length. These will not require editing skills and will emphasize acting over special effects.

• Encourage student-performed music over downloads. Or have separate categories for each.

• For more information, go to Mountielibrarylinks.wordpress.com

Contact information• Lowenbur@sburg.org

• Mountielibrarylinks.wordpress.com

• Amazon author page

• Zorkichronicles.com

• Crashburnlove.com