Data Board How To #2

Today we'll do the pie graph of checkouts by area of the library. Only ... I will be changing it some from what you can see in the example pic. Too many little areas cluttering up the visual. I DID separate out the Dewey areas but lets be honest. No one cares about that but us. So for today it will just be a pie graph showing checkouts by Everybody (or Easy or however you have yours labeled), Fiction, and Non-Fiction (or, I guess, technically Dewey).

What to do with that info? My guess is encourage more non-fiction reading (especially you states that have the Common Core standards ... only know what I've read online about that but I've gathered that much!). If you have the Dewey areas separated on YOUR end you can look and say "Oh, a display on books about places around the world might be in order, because really it was only the 500s that got much attention last month." But usually I don't think others would care that much.

This one I couldn't figure out how to make the data entry portion work as a clean form. The columns and rows didn't match up properly (so FYI ... unless some smarter person figures it out then pie graphs need to just be created in the spreadsheet view). So you'll go here, click on File and choose Make a Copy, and then change the cells to match your numbers. I totally made these up but they must be close ... I know we were around 4000 last month cause I was like "No wonder we're so tired." I have about 720 kids. Bigger schools, I do NOT know how you do it!

Once you have your data in Column B (and on your copy you could change the labels and number of rows ... if you wanted to separate out by more specific areas!) then highlight Column A & B Rows 1-3 and choose the chart option.

Choose Pie Graph.

Then again ... I like to move the chart to it's own page. That's just me. ;]

Then click on Advanced Edit.

Then you can play around with the colors and labels. You can choose to have the exact number shown or percentage of total checkouts listed.

 And you can play around with the colors.

 And then Save Image. I like to "tile print" them so that they are bigger than just one regular sheet of paper. Usually they are four sheets of paper. Mini-poster size.

Question ... would it be helpful to have these "how tos" in a pdf or Google Doc or Smores flyer format? So they could be printed? Or does this work for whatever need there might be? Though I have to be honest ... it might take me a while to make that happen. Maybe November break or something.





PS I'm working on a sort of 1.5 ... forms that gather more interesting data like "What is our favorite genre to read?" You can then turn that into a bar graph or if you are really adventurous ... maybe start designing an infographic? ;]

What Are You Reading Monday

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now… who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

Our Kid Lit to YA version is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts.
GREAT IDEA! Check out all of the What Are You Reading? participants for title ideas.



Let's Go for a Drive! by Mo Willems
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dear Mo,
I was not a big fan of Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs. Maybe it was over my head, I don't know. Anyway ... I LOVE this Piggie and Elephant adventure. They are like me. Get all excited about an idea, get the "extras" ready ... and then realize they are missing one main component. Their eyes ... Piggie and Gerald say so much with their eyes. Also the Pigeon cameo is awesome! So you are forgiven. Later.

Giants Beware! by Jorge Aguirre
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Love the colorful illustrations. And I enjoyed the story as well, even if Claudette was a little annoying in her persistance of adventure.



Fancy Nancy: Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth by Jane O'Connor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For girls that have been reading Fancy Nancy books these will be a perfect step up.




How Things Work: In The Yard by Lisa Campbell Ernst
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Love the collage illustrations. And it was interesting.
Just ... it felt a little discombobulated to me. Like some of the items were just thrown in there. And the descriptions were not very detailed. This is surface level how things work. But I still love the illustrations. ;]


The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Will be looking forward to book #2. Interesting characters, premise, and location ( I follow the author on her blog and I remember she went to Wales to do some research a while back ... loads of cool pics! Now we need pics of the actual Virginia location! Even though it was described pretty well). I especially liked Blue and her mom and aunts!

That said ... I wasn't quite convinced by Gansey's obsession with an ancient Welsh king and the reasoning behind Virginia as the setting. That got a litte confusing. Maybe a couple prequel chapters explaining the story would have helped? All the Raven boys were so angry.

And there was some language in there that was just not necessary. I mean, obscene language is rarely necessary (Please don't start on the "This is how people talk" ... so that makes it necessary? No, it does not and in writing or reading a book we have the advantage of time to come up with a better way to explain ourselves) but it seemed even more just thrown in there than the usual.

So almost four stars. Ever ever ever so close to four stars.

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I did like the characters ... but there wasn't much "new" here and it was a bit confusing at times understanding some of their motivations.

So ... I will give it one more try. Book #2, when it comes out. Then we'll see.


View all my reviews


Coming Up

Well ... still working on my professional books. Or, perhaps better said, claiming I am though I'm not really picking them up. I want to! And then fiction books that I've purchased. I want to read them but keep thinking "oh, I can read that whenever." All the library books are sitting there falling off of the shelf and I get distracted. New goal: Do Not Put Anything Else on Hold at the Library for at least a Month. Maybe more.

Weekend Pins

Source: Uploaded by user via Angie on Pinterest

I WANT A LOFT LIKE THIS.

Source: lostbuttonstudio.blogspot.com via Angie on Pinterest

I don't have kids and I don't have [many] toys. So what would I do with them? But I like these bins/shelves.

Source: Uploaded by user via Angie on Pinterest

No comment necessary, right? Though I've never had to feel unsafe in my own home I know some of my students have. :[

Source: solutions.com via Angie on Pinterest

Handy dandy!

Source: oedb.org via Angie on Pinterest

Love the layout, colors, and information!

Data Board How To #1

Are you like me? Might be considered Tech Savvy by others but more than a little nervous with Excel? Silly, I know.

Step one to making a data board ... a bar graph of checkouts by grade level. You will need your monthly statistics (however you might get those ... can't really help you there because all I've ever worked with is SIRSI and I still call for help on setting up the reports!).

I used Google because I could enter my data here. Isn't that nice and clean and not scary?

You do have to have an account with Google for this to work. If you use gmail you've already go the access. If you don't ... maybe think about signing up? ;]

Of course when you go to the link you will see something that looks more like this. And I just realized I forgot to get a screen shot of one earlier step. Click on "File" and "Make a copy" first!

And I can hear many of you. You're asking "Where is the nice not scary looking form?" Click on Form and choose "Go to Live Form." A new window will open.

Enter your numbers. Hit Submit! See how the spreadsheet is still there?

So now go back to your spreadsheet. Click and highlight on the B column rows 1 & 2 and hold it over to the H column 1 & 2 (or I or J if you add PreK or Parents/Community Members).
Once you have those highlighted click on the little graph icon here.

This window will pup up. Choose the bar graph for this particular exercise. (If you are a math genius and you think up good uses for the other ones? PLEASE SHARE! Do you even know how long it took me to think through and decide "which kind of graph for what kind of data"?

Then click on "Insert."

Now see that little arrow? Click on that and choose "Move to own sheet." That might just be my preference but I preferred to not have the spreadsheet behind me. Then click on "Advanced Edit." 

This is where you can play around with the graph title and axis labels.

Then I choose to "Save Image."

If you want to print it bigger than a regular 8X11 there are all sorts of sites online to enlarge and "tile" the printing (ie each page will be like a fourth of the image and you tape it together). Poke around and you should find one that you can reach past your school filter.

Is this helpful at all? You know this is as much "If I can explain it to someone else I'll truly have mastered it" as anything. NO  EXPERT HERE! ;]
Give me some time and I'll work up some other ones. Maybe ... a pie graph showing the percentages of total checkouts from Easy, Fiction, and Dewey? And maybe a line graph showing how busy the library is on different days (or hours of the day)? I did a pictograph of my usual tasks during the day ... but that was in Graph Club. And it was almost a total guess because my ability to keep track of hours spent in a week is not necessarily great.

I LEAVE YOU WITH THIS ... DON'T BECOME A SLAVE TO DATA GATHERING. IT'S SO NOT WORTH THAT. And stats can be manipulated and so only tell a part of the story. But a little info can be a helpful thing!




Here's my first post on a data board.

Thursday Thoughts on Tech Goals

1) Evernote: Well, so far ... all I've really accomplished there is linking my Skitch (screen grab and picture annotations) account. Which actually has turned out to be helpful but is not yet where I want to be.

2) iPad: Hmmm. Every time I suggest a lesson teachers pick a different topic. But I will persist!

3) SMART Notebook: Have actually made some progress on this one. Certainly using the board more (at least when it works properly ... A POX ON WIRELESS CONNECTIONS and on dumb architects who build classrooms without walls and force us to have something sitting out in the middle of everything where kids and staff alike knock it and get it off kilter five times a day) and the kids are enjoying it.

Late Breaking Update ... the TCEA presentations that weren't accepted in July? They've asked for two of the three after all. So ... you may be hearing about e-readers, e-books, and e-bookclubs as well as QR codes in the library. But classroom applicable as well. ;]

"Think of a way

I can help you organize your area over here because the mess is driving me crazy."
--spoken by well-meaning albeit more than a little tactless volunteer

Reaction #1 "It drives me crazy, too, buddy."
Reaction #2 "What business is it of yours?"
Reaction #3 "Sigh. If I knew what to tell you to do I'd have done it a long time ago."

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nkeppol/5824776984/sizes/z/

This is not even my style but isn't it nice and neat? No visual clutter. First one I found on Flickr that was CC. This person can probably find what they want when they want it. I am SURROUNDED by mess and haven't the foggiest idea how to get rid of it. Especially when I can't even stay after school to get things cleaned up ... the after-school care comes into the library and they keep talking to me and teachers come in and ask me things and I don't want to be rude but with all the noise I still can't concentrate and I give up and go home.

Don't get me wrong. I'd go nuts if it was silent all day. I love the noise of kids learning and asking each other about how to use a database or did they know this fact or hey you have to come see this book. It's the noise of constant hallway traffic headed elsewhere and teacher redirection and parent conversations and upset kids headed into the office or nurse. That drives me bonkers and I set things down and two seconds later can't remember where.

HP Quotes

Two posts in one day! No post tomorrow, though, and maybe Wednesday so does that make up for it? I loved the words and the art so much I had to try and combine the two.
What do you think?

See the credits page for the talented artists. Leave a comment if you liked 'em and want to see more. And go buy your own copies of the clip art and frames if you REALLY loved them. Then create something yourself. Would love to see it!