Collection and Development Plan Stephanie Wohl FRIT 7134 Spring 2010

Description of Site and Learners

Alexander II Math and Science Magnet School has been a school of achievement for Macon, GA since 1902. The mission statement of our school: utilizing a curriculum that is rich in math, science, and technology, we seek to motivate all students to become confident, self-directed lifelong learners. An award winning school, Alex II is the recipient of many accolades including the 2006 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and the Governors Silver Award in 2008. Alex II has a current enrollment of 549 children in Kindergarten through fifth grade. We have 2 administrators that successfully lead 39 certified teachers and 18 classified staff. The average for overall teaching experience of Alex II teachers is 14 years and over 60% of our teachers hold Masters degrees. The school ethnicity does not seem so culturally diverse, but just seems divided in half according to the breakdown in numbers. There are 44% African American, 50% White, 3% Multiracial and 2% Asian. The second grade consists of 5 teachers each with 20 students. The second grade math and reading levels differ among the students. The school offers Early Intervention (EIP) resources to those students

that need additional instruction and assistance. REACH is our program that offers students advanced skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and independent learning. This program is an extension of their classroom learning to address the skills and needs of various learners. According to the 2008-2009 Accountability Profile for our school, while we met our AYP, as well as the criteria for the 9 out of 9 content areas, 95% of our students were at the Meeting and Exceeding Standards, that percentage reflects a loss of 2.16% over the previous year. The state average for math was 87%. While the school has a proven track record in previous test scores with the integration of technology and the First in Math program, I would like to go a step further and combine these two with various diverse print and non-print materials selected for the media center collection at Alex II.

Curriculum Review
Use of language is equally important as the interactive experience of manipulative use in mathematics. Oral language is such an integral part of a childs development and learning. Students must be given the language and vocabulary that will help them communicate math skills and concepts. As part of my collection and development plan, I have strived to choose a variety of print and non-print materials that provide 2nd grade children with a meaningful context for learning mathematics. Proficiency in math is a foundation for later success. The primary goal of the collection is to support the schools curriculum and meet the needs of all learners.

The following standards are addressed through the materials selected:

M2N1. Students will use multiple representations of numbers to connect symbols to quantities. a. Represent numbers using a variety of models, diagrams, and number sentences (e.g., 4703 represented as 4,000 + 700 + 3, and units, 47 hundreds + 3, or 4,500 + 203). b. Understand the relative magnitudes of numbers using 10 as a unit, 100 as a unit, or 1000 as a unit. Represent 2-digit numbers with drawings of tens and ones and 3-digit numbers with drawings of hundreds, tens, and ones. c. Use money as a medium of exchange. Make change and use decimal notation and the dollar and cent symbols to represent the collection of coins and currency. M2N2. Students will build fluency with multi-digit addition and subtraction. a. Correctly add and subtract two whole numbers up to three digits each with regrouping. b. Understand and use the inverse relation between addition and subtraction to solve problems and check solutions. c. Use mental math strategies such as benchmark numbers to solve problems. d. Use basic properties of addition (commutative, associative, and identity) to simplify problems (e.g. 98 + 17 by taking two from 17 and adding it to the 98 to make 100 and replacing the original problem by the sum 100 + 15). e. Estimate to determine if solutions are reasonable for addition and subtraction. M2N3. Students will understand multiplication, multiply numbers, and verify results. a. Understand multiplication as repeated addition. b. Use repeated addition, arrays, and counting by multiples (skip counting) to correctly multiply 1-digit numbers and construct the multiplication table. c. Use the multiplication table (grid) to determine a product of two numbers. d. Use repeated subtraction, equal sharing, and forming equal groups to divide large collections of objects and determine factors for multiplication. M2N4. Students will understand and compare fractions.

a. Model, identify, label, and compare fractions (thirds, sixths, eighths, tenths) as a representation of equal parts of a whole or of a set. b. Know that when all fractional parts are included, such as three thirds, the result is equal to the whole. M2N5. Students will represent and interpret quantities and relationships using Mathematical expressions including equality and inequality signs (=, >, <, ). a. Include the use of boxes or ___ to represent a missing value. b. Represent problem solving situations where addition, subtraction or multiplication may be applied using mathematical expressions. M2N1, M2N5 M2N4 Understand and compare fractions using measurement- watch Actions with Fractions DVD, Various Books, Fraction Fun by David Adler, Fraction Spelling Game Explore temperature and read a thermometer- Word Concepts: Math & Time (DVD), Various Books, 100 Days of Cool by Stuart Murphy Differentiate between various types of money Students will write amounts and make change Fill in chart using number representation and symbols Calculate amounts using books, computer software- Math Blaster Various books, All About Money by Erin Roberson

M2M2

M2G1, M2G2, M2G3 Identify shapes within a shape. Classify and describe shapesReal People, Real Math: Sequencing, Sorting and Grouping Moving (DVD) , Ensamblando Figuras Geometricas (Tiling with Shapes) by Nancy Harris M2D1 Create and organize data using a variety of graphs- Pie Graphs and Pictographs by Vijay Bodach, Charts, Graphs and Diagrams (DVD), Chart dates on variety of coins, then create class graph

Collection Review
The media center is definitely the heart of the school. The library media specialist and a part time clerk stay busy with the daily Alexander II News Team, County and International Media Festivals, the Accelerated Reader Program and of course the everyday duties as the media specialist. The media center collection consists of approximately 9,858 books. This does not include magazines, big books, autographed books, etc. Together there are about 10,439 print materials; and 1034 non-print. We have approximately 17 books per student. The average age of the books is 1997. Out of the 9,858 books, a mere 191 are math fiction and non-fiction. 110 those are Professional texts for teachers which students can not check out. My first thoughts during my initial visual view of the media center were that the shelves seemed sparse. As I spent more time examining the collection I discovered the shelves were organized and carefully arranged. The shelves are clearly labeled using the Dewey Decimal Classification System. Reference Books are dusty and to the far back of the room. AR books are coded with different colored star stickers. All materials have a place; students came to the media center with a purpose, knew the procedures and follow the media specialists rules. These efforts seemed to make for an efficiently run media center. Alexander II is also a school that prides itself on its students mathematical capabilities. For these reasons I felt my interests were drawn mathematics. There is not any math DVDs or computer software programs other than First in Math available for students.

Accelerated Reader is a popular program at Alexander II. Im not sure if it is because teachers incorporate the program into the classroom or if the students love to compete for the AR parties. Whatever the reason for the success, I decided to incorporate available math materials, both fiction and non-fiction, with the AR program. If there was an AR quiz available, I decided to purchase it. I was not surprised to learn there is not one multicultural book among the 191 math materials in the Alex II collection. While I know there is a very small percentage multicultural students at Alex II, I still feel it is important to offer all students positive portrayals of characters with authentic behaviors. By incorporating multicultural literature into the schools curriculum, teachers can enhance a students learning experience. I was able to incorporate multicultural materials into my collection development plan by choosing books and computer software that would appeal to a variety of learners. In addition to the lack of multicultural materials, the collection also seems deficient in the trend of electronic books. I used a portion of the allotted money to purchase fiction and non-fiction books, as well as the accompanying AR quizzes, in the e-book format. I believe being read to builds a childs vocabulary. The reader provides the background for the student to make the connection between the spoken and printed word.

Summary
Using 3 reputable book vendors and $3998.40, I established a collection and development plan for the benefit of Alexander II students. The plan comes complete with books, computer software, e-books, DVDs and a new batch of

Accelerated Reader quizzes. I believe I covered a spectrum of topics to satisfy all of the Georgia Performance Standards and the schools curriculum. In my quest for knowledge I came across many sites that I found useful for this project or just interesting that I added to my netvibes page http://www.netvibes.com/swohl#Alex_II_Math_Collection.