Literacy Circle at MHS

Middleburg High School has 25 minutes per day dedicated to sustained reading.  We call this the enrichment period, and it is included in 5th period of every class.  Teachers have the flexibility to plan this time however they choose.  Some teachers check out class sets of the same novel for students to use.  Some teachers allow students to choose their own reading materials.  Right now my students are all reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  I often play the audio version while students follow along in their books.  I have noticed about half the students are just pretending to listen or read this book.  It is very frustrating.  I have tried to hold them accountable by offering fun book related activities as motivation, but I have not been successful in reaching every student.

After learning about the different options of having Literacy Circles, I think it would be a great way to hold my students accountable for actually reading.  I like how each circle has different roles while all are reading the same book.  I plan to try using Literacy Circles with the next books.  I want to have students pair up in groups of 4.  Each group will be responsible for reading the book of their choice from the school library or from their personal collection.  Each week I will assign each member a different job they will work on while reading.  On Friday's the groups will meet and share their findings with the group.  They will turn in their written or computer generated job sheets for me to assign points to.  Roles will rotate each week so each person is responsible for a different job every week.  The collection of job sheets can be put into a group portfolio that covers book reviews and assignments from their readings.

I think this will be a motivating factor for my students.  They will be able to mix learning, reading, and socializing.  In addition, creating a portfolio for others to view will encourage them to do their best.

Ethnography at the Clay County Public Library

Introduction

This ethnographic resource study was conducted to find out what resources are available at my local library. I was interested in how the community uses the library, classes offered, activities and events, ESL, tutoring, and special needs offerings.



Methodology

On February 18, 2012, I visited the Clay County Public Library website and blog. In addition, I went on site to interview the media specialist about their services offered and took a tour. I collected pamphlets, photographs, and screen shots of interest.

Observations and Data Analysis
The Clay County Library System’s Mission is to provide current high demand, high interest, popular materials in a variety of formats for patrons of all ages; assist students pre-school through grade 12 in meeting educational objectives established during their formal course of study; and support individuals of all ages pursuing learning independent of any educational provider.

I visited the Headquarters location in Fleming Island. It has over 27,000 square feet containing a wide range of music CDs, DVDs, audio books, magazines, books, newspapers, and reference materials. The library assists students in their PreK-12th grade learning by providing supplemental materials, free Internet and WiFi, computer use, and a broad range of service hours.

The CCPL fosters a sense of community with its E-Government, careers and educational choices, health information and resources, educational support, personal growth and development, and children and youth activities.

Many events are offered for people of all ages. Book clubs, chess club, art displays, craft programs, book sales, musical and dance performances, magic shows, teen gaming nights and tournaments, poetry readings, computer literacy classes, digital camera tutorials, genealogy classes, story time, movie showings, talent shows, safety classes, and various art classes.

  

 

  

The Green Cove Springs location offers free access to Rosetta Stone for exploring literacy, career/job skills, computer literacy, American culture and language, and pathways to citizenship. In addition, the Clay County Literacy Coalition provides materials and tutors at no cost.

They offer e-Government services such as voter registration, IRS, apply for financial assistance to the state of Florida, WorkSource and job search, and vital records.

The CCPL has many community partnerships including AARP Tax Preparation, Clay County School System, Summer Programs, ESOL Program – Green Cove Springs Library, and the Clay County Literacy Coalition.

Meeting Rooms are provided for use by Non-profit and Government groups use at Orange Park, Headquarters, and Middleburg Libraries. In addition, the Middleburg Library is used by the Health Department, and polling precincts and early voting are held at the Orange Park, Middleburg, and Headquarters location.

CCPL Stats:
•Library service hours per typical week = 56 hours
•Registered Borrowers = 84,590
•Librarians with Master’s Degrees = 8
•Collection = 296,610 items
•Annual Circulation = 831,786
•Reference Questions = 83,652
•Library visits = 711,093
•Programs (adult & children) = 668
•Total Program Attendance = 22,194
•Annual Number of users of public Internet computers = 186,242

Conclusion

In my effort to learn more about the services offered by the local public library, I realized how vital it is to my community. Their offerings of ESL tutors and computer classes helps prepare the Clay County community with important skills needed for jobs at no cost. Their book clubs and teen programs offer a wide range of activities for the youth. The library is a resource everyone can find something exciting just for them.


Bibliographic Citation

Clay County Public Library. (n.d.). Clay County Public Library. Retrieved February 19, 2012, from http://www.ccpl.lib.fl.us/

Virginia. (n.d.). Clay County Public Library Blog Spot. Clay County Public Library. Retrieved February 19, 2012, from http://www.ccpl.lib.fl.us/blog/