This article grabbed my attention for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I find these lists to be rather dangerous. Unless there is an attached article entitled "A 13-Point Support Program and Funding Guidelines for Media Specialists", it is rather a one sided argument. Secondly, who wrote this list? Every school district is so different in terms of funding, library personnel, whether or not the teacher librarian provides preparation time, etc. that it is really difficult to create a one-size-fits-all checklist.
There are elements of Doug Johnson's article that are nothing short of laughable. "Does the media centre have an outside entrance so it can be used for community events?" Mine doesn't even have a window. Last year the library I was in was infact a corridor. "Is the media centre carpeted with static-free carpet to reduce noise and protect electronic devices? Is it climate controlled? Does it contain a computer lab, multi-media work stations and TV production facilities? Does it have fully networked voice, video and data lines?" I'm not sure what district Johnson works for but sign me up. I don't have any of those things. The money is simply not there, and if were, it would likely be spent on much more basic things that are desperately needed.
The vast majority of the article focuses on the duties and skills of the teacher librarian. I agree with much of what Johnson says in this regard. We should have written job descriptions, attend professional development opportunities, tie collection development in with the curriculum, provide a variety of online and print resources, be part of school committees, practice resource-based teaching, collaborate with classroom teachers..... and on and on. This is not a surprise. His points are all valid in regards to our professional duties. My problem is is that we are not given the time nor budget to do these things. In my district, we are kept very busy covering prep classes much of the day, engaging with students and trying to collaborate with teachers whenever possible. Many of us have no clerical support. And some of us are in 3 different libraries. The list is simply not achievable with the manpower and financial resources available.
As you can see, this article gets my shackles up. In the hands of a principal who wishes to use this as a literal guideline, problems could arise. When articles like this are written and published, they should be accompanied with information that tells principals the true cost of running such a school library resource centre.
Johnson, Doug. ""A 13-Point Library Media Program Checklist for School Principals". Teacher Librarian 33 Feb, 2006 70-71. 27 Sep 2008
The Great Debate: Print Versus Electronic Resources
This week’s topic has been of great debate within our online community. Nancy and Gloria have very relevant points that it appears that print is becoming obsolete and that rarely is a student spotted using anything but online sources for research. Nancy also made the comment that she can’t recall the last time she used a dictionary – she uses google. I agree. I can’t remember the last time I touched one either.
So what does this mean? Should we have a book burning bonanza and saddle up with software? I entertained the thought. One needs to consider all potential possibilities in pursuit of the best solution. Why do I need print resources after all? I couldn’t think of any real reasons. Many of the problems cited with electronic resources in our course notes are indeed issues, however many of them can be overcome or dealt with. For example, the concerns of “advertising of sites” and “the lack of acceptable authority” can be removed if students are given credible sites to access information. The “ease of plagiarizing by cutting and pasting” and a “lack of student skills to distinguish best site from among many” are combated by teaching our students information literacy strategies. The argument that “searches (are) limited to number of computers in school library or lab” makes me laugh- there are at least 60 computers in our school with internet access and one decent set of encyclopedias. Ha!
(Yikes. I’ve talked myself into the book burning option. Time to consult The Voices of Reason – other colleagues in my district, my mentor, the international teacher librarian forum and, of course, the text. If this is such a hot idea, surely others would have burned their reference sections by now.)
The text has some excellent quotes that have caused the pendulum to swing back to the middle:
“The Web, albeit a unique one, is merely one more reference tool for school library media centres.” (p.101) Perhaps it would be hasty to have but one tool in my toolbox (even if it is a deluxe Swiss Army knife, which I am convinced is the only tool a woman needs). What if this tool breaks down? What if our users do not enjoy using this tool? What if our users are tactile learners or visually impaired and need to have print resources?
The Web is “not a source of information but rather a means of communication” (p.103). I’m not sure I agree with this. I think it is BOTH a tool for communication (email) and a source for information (Wikipedia).
So onto polling colleagues in my district and those on the international TL forum. As you can imagine, the answers were widespread. Interestingly, only one librarian (in a private school in the US) suggested going totally digital. Most suggested keeping some print resources, if only for the reason that electronics and internet connections can let us down. Many use their reference section as a base for teaching lessons. Hmm. Sounds a bit like teaching “library skills” in a formal way which is not my style.
I was really curious to hear what my mentor thought on this topic. He is a) ruthless at weeding and does not have a resource in his library that hasn’t been used in one year; and b) the King of research and information literacy skills. He is likely one of the most knowledgeable TL’s I know. Even he keeps print resources, albeit a bare bone collection that is supported by website links on his library site.
So, after a week of interviewing and probing into the reference sections of libraries near and far, I believe that print resources do have their place in a library, however not in the quantity that has been maintained in the past. The cost for quality online resources is significantly cheaper than print ones and is, for most students, the preferred vehicle to access information. We must remember, however, that it is our role to provide a variety of resources and tools to our users, and the internet is just one more tool.
So what does this mean? Should we have a book burning bonanza and saddle up with software? I entertained the thought. One needs to consider all potential possibilities in pursuit of the best solution. Why do I need print resources after all? I couldn’t think of any real reasons. Many of the problems cited with electronic resources in our course notes are indeed issues, however many of them can be overcome or dealt with. For example, the concerns of “advertising of sites” and “the lack of acceptable authority” can be removed if students are given credible sites to access information. The “ease of plagiarizing by cutting and pasting” and a “lack of student skills to distinguish best site from among many” are combated by teaching our students information literacy strategies. The argument that “searches (are) limited to number of computers in school library or lab” makes me laugh- there are at least 60 computers in our school with internet access and one decent set of encyclopedias. Ha!
(Yikes. I’ve talked myself into the book burning option. Time to consult The Voices of Reason – other colleagues in my district, my mentor, the international teacher librarian forum and, of course, the text. If this is such a hot idea, surely others would have burned their reference sections by now.)
The text has some excellent quotes that have caused the pendulum to swing back to the middle:
“The Web, albeit a unique one, is merely one more reference tool for school library media centres.” (p.101) Perhaps it would be hasty to have but one tool in my toolbox (even if it is a deluxe Swiss Army knife, which I am convinced is the only tool a woman needs). What if this tool breaks down? What if our users do not enjoy using this tool? What if our users are tactile learners or visually impaired and need to have print resources?
The Web is “not a source of information but rather a means of communication” (p.103). I’m not sure I agree with this. I think it is BOTH a tool for communication (email) and a source for information (Wikipedia).
So onto polling colleagues in my district and those on the international TL forum. As you can imagine, the answers were widespread. Interestingly, only one librarian (in a private school in the US) suggested going totally digital. Most suggested keeping some print resources, if only for the reason that electronics and internet connections can let us down. Many use their reference section as a base for teaching lessons. Hmm. Sounds a bit like teaching “library skills” in a formal way which is not my style.
I was really curious to hear what my mentor thought on this topic. He is a) ruthless at weeding and does not have a resource in his library that hasn’t been used in one year; and b) the King of research and information literacy skills. He is likely one of the most knowledgeable TL’s I know. Even he keeps print resources, albeit a bare bone collection that is supported by website links on his library site.
So, after a week of interviewing and probing into the reference sections of libraries near and far, I believe that print resources do have their place in a library, however not in the quantity that has been maintained in the past. The cost for quality online resources is significantly cheaper than print ones and is, for most students, the preferred vehicle to access information. We must remember, however, that it is our role to provide a variety of resources and tools to our users, and the internet is just one more tool.
"Are Librarians Totally Obsolete? 33 Reasons Why Libraries and Librarians are Still Extremely Important" - Article Review #2
This article addresses the futuristic notion that perhaps one day, libraries and librarians will disappear as more and more resources are digitalized. Is this realistic? Are we expendable, to be replaced by computers and internet connections?
Sherman doesn’t believe so. He makes a solid, 33 point argument that we are certainly needed in the digital future, perhaps more so than today. He accurately points out that the internet is not our enemy – it is a tool that we use to help our users locate information. And it is not a tool without faults…. of which I shall highlight five:
1. Not all information is available on the internet. For example, current copyright laws in the US protect works from being put on the internet for 70 years after the death of the author. Even if such laws did not exist, it would take about 200 years to digitalize the some 100 million books in print since the invention of movable type. (p.22)
2. The quality of the internet experience is determined by the user. There are skills required to best access information, and these skills need to be taught. “The internet is not DIY.” (p.24) Librarians have the know-how to help users access information effectively.
3. The internet is highly social in nature and makes in susceptible to low quality information. Information can be biased or manipulated. Websites that are frequented more than others are given priority in search engines. Popularity does not equal validity. Libraries contain resources that conform to strict guidelines or accuracy and citation.
4. It is often difficult to isolate specific information on the internet. Libraries contain detailed index information on resources in its collection.
5. The internet is transient. Website addresses change or go offline. Communities appear or disappear. There is a distinct lack of stability.
It is also important to note that not everyone has access to the internet and it’s not free. And books aren’t free either. For some people, the library is the only place where they can have access to reliable resources for research purposes.
It may surprise you to learn that people are using libraries even more since the dawn of the internet. With online access, library “attendance” is actually growing. People who were not library visitors in the past are finding a new connection with libraries through the internet.
Librarians are needed more than ever to help guide users through the messy information hub that is the internet. As even websites need moderators, we are the moderators between technology, information and needs of the user. That is one thing the internet will never do.
Sherman, Will. "Are Librarians Totally Obsolete? 33 Reasons Why Libraries and Librarians are Still Extremely Important." Teacher Librarian 35Oct, 2007 21-28. 20 Sep 2008
Sherman doesn’t believe so. He makes a solid, 33 point argument that we are certainly needed in the digital future, perhaps more so than today. He accurately points out that the internet is not our enemy – it is a tool that we use to help our users locate information. And it is not a tool without faults…. of which I shall highlight five:
1. Not all information is available on the internet. For example, current copyright laws in the US protect works from being put on the internet for 70 years after the death of the author. Even if such laws did not exist, it would take about 200 years to digitalize the some 100 million books in print since the invention of movable type. (p.22)
2. The quality of the internet experience is determined by the user. There are skills required to best access information, and these skills need to be taught. “The internet is not DIY.” (p.24) Librarians have the know-how to help users access information effectively.
3. The internet is highly social in nature and makes in susceptible to low quality information. Information can be biased or manipulated. Websites that are frequented more than others are given priority in search engines. Popularity does not equal validity. Libraries contain resources that conform to strict guidelines or accuracy and citation.
4. It is often difficult to isolate specific information on the internet. Libraries contain detailed index information on resources in its collection.
5. The internet is transient. Website addresses change or go offline. Communities appear or disappear. There is a distinct lack of stability.
It is also important to note that not everyone has access to the internet and it’s not free. And books aren’t free either. For some people, the library is the only place where they can have access to reliable resources for research purposes.
It may surprise you to learn that people are using libraries even more since the dawn of the internet. With online access, library “attendance” is actually growing. People who were not library visitors in the past are finding a new connection with libraries through the internet.
Librarians are needed more than ever to help guide users through the messy information hub that is the internet. As even websites need moderators, we are the moderators between technology, information and needs of the user. That is one thing the internet will never do.
Sherman, Will. "Are Librarians Totally Obsolete? 33 Reasons Why Libraries and Librarians are Still Extremely Important." Teacher Librarian 35Oct, 2007 21-28. 20 Sep 2008
"The Hero's Journey: An Inquiry Research Model" - Article Review #1
For all of you that find research models to be rather prescriptive or dry.... fear not! Holmes offers an alternative that is fun, imaginative and motivational. Behold "the hero's journey", an alternative research model that encompasses all of the elements of common research models embedded in mythology.
Holmes is not despairing of research models per se, however he argues that models such as the Big 6 are "scientific" and "dispassionate". He suggests that we should strive to make research more exciting and personal. The hero's journey does just that: it teaches students to make the connection between their education and their larger life journey, rather than experiencing the research model as simply a process-based assignment.
Holmes argues that the goal of the information literacy process is to "create independent lifelong learners who feel passionately connected to their education" (p19). He believes that the current research models bore students and that the assignments we give are meaningless if implemented through scientific research models such as Big 6, turning students off from research. Thus these models are working against our goal.
The hero's journey research model is derived from Joseph Campbell's book The Hero With A Thousand Faces, written in 1956. The hero's journey is a "narrative structure... an archetypal map of the human spirit quest". This form of narrative has been used extensively since this time in films, video games and books, and was even a major influence on George Lucas as he created Star Wars. It is a story from that captures what it is like to be human.
Holmes stresses that we need to make research fun, dynamic and meaningful. The hero's journey incorporates role play so students become detectives, explorers or scientists. They are encouraged to approach research from an authentic standpoint in history, turning it into a game.
Reg Harris and Susan Thompson (both English teachers) developed a curriculum guide to support the hero's journey. If you would like to read more about this research model or view resources linked to it, you can visit www.yourheroicjourney.com.
The following is an outline of the stages of the hero’s quest:
1. The call to adventure: This is the challenge or the initial inquiry.
2. The supernatural aid: This is the EQ (essential question).
3. The threshold: The informational need, the missing information.
4. The challenges and temptations: The support of the TL or teacher to guide the learner through treacherous obstacles such as boredom, frustration, laziness, bad information, etc.
5. The abyss: This is the greatest challenge, the “point of maximum confusion when the student faces information overload”.
6. The revelation: The problem becomes manageable and solutions surface.
7. The transformation: Solutions are chosen, creativity is called upon.
8. The atonement: The EQ is answered.
9. Returning with the gift of the goddess: Sharing new knowledge with others.
My reflections of this article:
I visited the website and further learned about this research model. While creative, it is too convoluted and “out there” for me! Furthermore, it would have to be heavily adapted for use in an elementary school. It is rich in language and creativity and I can see how it would appeal to perhaps a creative writing class at the secondary level. It would confuse the socks of my little ESL kids with the terminology and multiple steps. In theory, I like the idea of a research quest that incorporates imaginative elements in a game-like fashion. But until such a model surfaces, I’ll stick to Research Quest!
Holmes, Thomas. "The Hero's Journey: An Inquiry Research Model." Teacher Librarian 34.no5June, 2007 19-22. 19 Sep 2008
Holmes is not despairing of research models per se, however he argues that models such as the Big 6 are "scientific" and "dispassionate". He suggests that we should strive to make research more exciting and personal. The hero's journey does just that: it teaches students to make the connection between their education and their larger life journey, rather than experiencing the research model as simply a process-based assignment.
Holmes argues that the goal of the information literacy process is to "create independent lifelong learners who feel passionately connected to their education" (p19). He believes that the current research models bore students and that the assignments we give are meaningless if implemented through scientific research models such as Big 6, turning students off from research. Thus these models are working against our goal.
The hero's journey research model is derived from Joseph Campbell's book The Hero With A Thousand Faces, written in 1956. The hero's journey is a "narrative structure... an archetypal map of the human spirit quest". This form of narrative has been used extensively since this time in films, video games and books, and was even a major influence on George Lucas as he created Star Wars. It is a story from that captures what it is like to be human.
Holmes stresses that we need to make research fun, dynamic and meaningful. The hero's journey incorporates role play so students become detectives, explorers or scientists. They are encouraged to approach research from an authentic standpoint in history, turning it into a game.
Reg Harris and Susan Thompson (both English teachers) developed a curriculum guide to support the hero's journey. If you would like to read more about this research model or view resources linked to it, you can visit www.yourheroicjourney.com.
The following is an outline of the stages of the hero’s quest:
1. The call to adventure: This is the challenge or the initial inquiry.
2. The supernatural aid: This is the EQ (essential question).
3. The threshold: The informational need, the missing information.
4. The challenges and temptations: The support of the TL or teacher to guide the learner through treacherous obstacles such as boredom, frustration, laziness, bad information, etc.
5. The abyss: This is the greatest challenge, the “point of maximum confusion when the student faces information overload”.
6. The revelation: The problem becomes manageable and solutions surface.
7. The transformation: Solutions are chosen, creativity is called upon.
8. The atonement: The EQ is answered.
9. Returning with the gift of the goddess: Sharing new knowledge with others.
My reflections of this article:
I visited the website and further learned about this research model. While creative, it is too convoluted and “out there” for me! Furthermore, it would have to be heavily adapted for use in an elementary school. It is rich in language and creativity and I can see how it would appeal to perhaps a creative writing class at the secondary level. It would confuse the socks of my little ESL kids with the terminology and multiple steps. In theory, I like the idea of a research quest that incorporates imaginative elements in a game-like fashion. But until such a model surfaces, I’ll stick to Research Quest!
Holmes, Thomas. "The Hero's Journey: An Inquiry Research Model." Teacher Librarian 34.no5June, 2007 19-22. 19 Sep 2008
Researching Research Models
Two quotes that struck me in this week's readings:
"Living in the information age requires people to go beyond the ability to locate information and requires competence in seeking meaning and understanding. More is not necessarily better without skillful guidance from an insightful person [school library media specialist]" (Learning 708).
"...students that have little prior knowledge of the information seeking process have fragmented understanding of subject knowledge" (Riedling, 10)
I like these quotes as they validate the role of the TL and employing research models at the same time.
I appreciated Maloya's reflections (and chart) comparing Big 6, Research Quest and the Infomation Seeking Process. I agree with her preference for Research Quest for the reason she provided - it requires students to think about which resources would be the most suitable for the particular task they are focused on. I also like the simplicity of the language. In a school that is high ESL, this is important.
Many classmates have commented on the importance of the reflection step of the research models. This is so true. It is very easy to get caught up in the process or the product (or both!) and overlook the significant step of making observations about learning. It is important that students develop their interpersonal skills and learning identity which is best achieved through reflection.
Something that struck me about these research models is that for all their similarities, which are many, their terminologies differ. Wouldn't it be great if a school agreed on using one model and thus eliminating the confusion that students would face learning new models and terminologies? This led me to do some research of my own at my school.
I found an interesting blend of research models. Half of the staff had never heard of a research model. Even after I explained it, they thought is was a tool that should be part of Developing Readers. (I clearly explained it badly.) In the end, I had to provide copies of the models for them to understand. They then saw the value in the models, however had not used them before. The good news is that most of these teachers are open to using any model, should I offer to work with them. The other half of the staff use a combination of Big 6 and teacher created research models. The decision to collectively focus on one research model or another will be discussed at a staff meeting later in the month. I am excited that it has got people thinking and talking about this topic and that I can then use this as a platform to offer collaborative teaching ideas.
"Living in the information age requires people to go beyond the ability to locate information and requires competence in seeking meaning and understanding. More is not necessarily better without skillful guidance from an insightful person [school library media specialist]" (Learning 708).
"...students that have little prior knowledge of the information seeking process have fragmented understanding of subject knowledge" (Riedling, 10)
I like these quotes as they validate the role of the TL and employing research models at the same time.
I appreciated Maloya's reflections (and chart) comparing Big 6, Research Quest and the Infomation Seeking Process. I agree with her preference for Research Quest for the reason she provided - it requires students to think about which resources would be the most suitable for the particular task they are focused on. I also like the simplicity of the language. In a school that is high ESL, this is important.
Many classmates have commented on the importance of the reflection step of the research models. This is so true. It is very easy to get caught up in the process or the product (or both!) and overlook the significant step of making observations about learning. It is important that students develop their interpersonal skills and learning identity which is best achieved through reflection.
Something that struck me about these research models is that for all their similarities, which are many, their terminologies differ. Wouldn't it be great if a school agreed on using one model and thus eliminating the confusion that students would face learning new models and terminologies? This led me to do some research of my own at my school.
I found an interesting blend of research models. Half of the staff had never heard of a research model. Even after I explained it, they thought is was a tool that should be part of Developing Readers. (I clearly explained it badly.) In the end, I had to provide copies of the models for them to understand. They then saw the value in the models, however had not used them before. The good news is that most of these teachers are open to using any model, should I offer to work with them. The other half of the staff use a combination of Big 6 and teacher created research models. The decision to collectively focus on one research model or another will be discussed at a staff meeting later in the month. I am excited that it has got people thinking and talking about this topic and that I can then use this as a platform to offer collaborative teaching ideas.
Where the Journey Begins
Noting the distance one has traveled is impossible without understanding where the journey began. As a relatively new teacher librarian of one year, I have a general idea of what constitutes a reference material and how we as teacher librarians use these materials to support teaching and learning. The terminology used in the course text is for the most part familiar to me, as are the ideas presented in the chapters. However, I know enough to know that there is a lot that I don't know.
What don't I know? Well, the reference section of my library at my new school looks like it has never been touched. I need some ideas and inspiration as to how to correct this problem as I am not sure where to begin. The materials in my library are relatively new, however they are few in number and do not represent the gamut of materials that are mentioned in the course outline. I need to learn about a greater variety of resources and incorporate them into my library development plan.
I can hardly keep up the amount of new and amazing reference websites that continually pop up, but I try! I hope to learn of more useful websites that have been tried and tested. While it is very important to have books as reference materials, there are reference websites that books cannot begin to represent.
A library can have amazing resources however they are of little use without a guide to bring them to life. I hope to learn of innovative ideas that will help me to be the "go-to" resource person in my school. It will take time to get to know the staff, students and learning styles of my new school community. In time, and with new experiences and learning, I'm sure I'll get there!
I am sure that I will discover other knowledge gaps along the way. These are only the potholes I am aware of!
What don't I know? Well, the reference section of my library at my new school looks like it has never been touched. I need some ideas and inspiration as to how to correct this problem as I am not sure where to begin. The materials in my library are relatively new, however they are few in number and do not represent the gamut of materials that are mentioned in the course outline. I need to learn about a greater variety of resources and incorporate them into my library development plan.
I can hardly keep up the amount of new and amazing reference websites that continually pop up, but I try! I hope to learn of more useful websites that have been tried and tested. While it is very important to have books as reference materials, there are reference websites that books cannot begin to represent.
A library can have amazing resources however they are of little use without a guide to bring them to life. I hope to learn of innovative ideas that will help me to be the "go-to" resource person in my school. It will take time to get to know the staff, students and learning styles of my new school community. In time, and with new experiences and learning, I'm sure I'll get there!
I am sure that I will discover other knowledge gaps along the way. These are only the potholes I am aware of!
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