At the onset of this course, we were asked to reflect upon what we already knew when we began the course and what we hoped to learn. When I look back at my initial comments and thoughts, I realize that my ideology of the purpose of the reference section has changed. I have to admit that I had no idea that there was so much “to” the reference section. Pulling it apart and examining it piece by piece has enabled me to get a much greater understanding of the uses and capabilities of an effective and efficient reference section. Although it is cliché, I must say “that you don’t know what you don’t know”, and that certainly applies to where I started a few months back.
The greatest paradigm shift for me has been the use of print versus electronic reference resources. Exploring databases, online geographical resources, Wikipedia and online dictionaries, etc. has widened my perception and definition of what the “reference” section is. Until this course, I envisioned the reference section as a destination: that graveyard in the corner of my library that collects dust. I somehow saw electronic resources as being disjunct and in a category of their own, which is far from the truth. Now I realize that they work in partnership and can supplement one another. While I admit that I still have a bias towards electronic resources, I now understand the value of those that are print, and realize that I need to find ways to include them in my teaching in order for students to understand how to use them. I firmly am against teaching lessons that solely focus on dictionary or encyclopedia skills, however I will do a better job of embedding skill lessons into my teaching themes.
One of the statements in our course notes really stood out for me:
“Managing a school library resource centre or a reference collection does not mean building systems that protect it or limit access to it. In fact, it can mean the exact opposite.”
I think that many school reference sections are run very poorly – mine included, however it is certainly improving! A few weeks ago, I heard one student point at the encyclopedias and ask his friend: “What does the ‘R’ stand for?” The other replied, “It stands for RESTRICTED”. I was horrified. And then I reflected upon my experiences as a child, as a university student, as a teacher. Yes, the word restricted sounded about right. After this realization, I tore off all those R stickers. They have a negative, uninviting and limiting connotation. The first step in improving the reference section is changing the perception of the users. I've changed mine and now it is time to focus on those of my users.
To my peers, thanks for the encouragement, the support, the learning. I have gained much by observing your thoughts and conversations, bouncing my ideas and theories off of you and learning through your experiences. Thanks to Angela and Fran for being such wonderful group members with an incredible amount of insight and knowledge. As this is my last course in the diploma program, I will really miss connecting with colleagues in a learning environment and am so pleased to have met so many professional and interesting people.
All the best! Jody
Dabbling With Databases
As I am nearly at the end of my TL diploma, I have had many experiences with the UBC databases. Although I have managed a working relationship with them (I can effectively retrieve journal articles required for class, etc.), I must admit that doing general searches yield results that are not exactly helpful. I am highly proficient at locating information on the internet and rather enjoy internet searching however the various databases are a source of frustration. The layouts of the search engines are not user friendly, the searches are very slow for some reason and the results are wide-ranging and often not useful.
It wasn’t until recently that I re-evaluated my database disdain and repositioned my expectations. I wouldn’t go into a library and expect the first book to suit my needs. I know that uncovering the print information one is after takes time, patience and persistence. Where and why did I get the idea that databases should be so easy? I think I am just too used to the ease of Google! And could it be that I am doing something wrong and my searches could be improved?
I decided that perhaps it would be a good idea to hone my database searching skills. The following websites were of use:
http://library.auraria.edu/guides/general/searching.html
http://healthlinks.washington.edu/howto/improving.html
http://libraryresearchguides.cocc.edu/ebscoguide/default.aspx
As our school district subscribes to Ebsco, I found the last of the above links to be most useful. It was on this website that I learned “…do not search for words like "education", "school", or "teaching" in ERIC, the education-specific database.” Woops. I think I have done that every search. No wonder I end up with odd and overwhelming search results. Note to self: teaching students how to effectively search will have a great impact on the quality of their searches.
I have to agree with Wendy, who commented that “if it is this difficult for us to use, imagine an elementary student trying to use this.” That being said, maybe part of the frustration is that we haven’t mastered the search techniques yet? I have noticed since my self-induced tutorial, my searches have improved in terms of accuracy and clarity. As others have pointed out, there is certainly the issue of getting used to the different layouts of the databases. However, I think this is an issue that can be solved with experience and time.
I am yet to implicitly teach databases to my students, as we are in computer crisis and will not have a class set until after Christmas. When I do focus on databases, I think it is important to teach students when the net and when the database. There are some great web links to support this teaching:
Databases versus the internet:
http://www.coconino.edu/library/databasesworkshop/databasesworkshop_files/frame.htm
http://bloggingatbriggs.wordpress.com/2007/02/22/library-databases-vs-internet-search-engines-or-how-to-make-google-your-last-stop-for-research/
http://www.boulder.lib.co.us/reference/db_vs_internet.html
It wasn’t until recently that I re-evaluated my database disdain and repositioned my expectations. I wouldn’t go into a library and expect the first book to suit my needs. I know that uncovering the print information one is after takes time, patience and persistence. Where and why did I get the idea that databases should be so easy? I think I am just too used to the ease of Google! And could it be that I am doing something wrong and my searches could be improved?
I decided that perhaps it would be a good idea to hone my database searching skills. The following websites were of use:
http://library.auraria.edu/guides/general/searching.html
http://healthlinks.washington.edu/howto/improving.html
http://libraryresearchguides.cocc.edu/ebscoguide/default.aspx
As our school district subscribes to Ebsco, I found the last of the above links to be most useful. It was on this website that I learned “…do not search for words like "education", "school", or "teaching" in ERIC, the education-specific database.” Woops. I think I have done that every search. No wonder I end up with odd and overwhelming search results. Note to self: teaching students how to effectively search will have a great impact on the quality of their searches.
I have to agree with Wendy, who commented that “if it is this difficult for us to use, imagine an elementary student trying to use this.” That being said, maybe part of the frustration is that we haven’t mastered the search techniques yet? I have noticed since my self-induced tutorial, my searches have improved in terms of accuracy and clarity. As others have pointed out, there is certainly the issue of getting used to the different layouts of the databases. However, I think this is an issue that can be solved with experience and time.
I am yet to implicitly teach databases to my students, as we are in computer crisis and will not have a class set until after Christmas. When I do focus on databases, I think it is important to teach students when the net and when the database. There are some great web links to support this teaching:
Databases versus the internet:
http://www.coconino.edu/library/databasesworkshop/databasesworkshop_files/frame.htm
http://bloggingatbriggs.wordpress.com/2007/02/22/library-databases-vs-internet-search-engines-or-how-to-make-google-your-last-stop-for-research/
http://www.boulder.lib.co.us/reference/db_vs_internet.html
Investigating Geographical Resources
It has been an interesting exercise to examine various online geographical resources, particularly as I have recently been asked to purchase a new set of atlases for the school. As our school technology is terrible, I am fully aware that relying upon an online atlas would not be a wise nor welcome move. That being said, we are in the process of getting new computers, and perhaps this set of print atlases I buy might be the last.
It is interesting how the online chatter about atlases has found its way back to the earlier debate of print versus electronic. I am biased in this area - I admit that I lean to the electronic versions - however I am not the teacher nor the student that will frequently use either. My opinion may be guided by Reidling’s criteria but once again I am not the principle user. This thought inspired me to poll a few teachers and students in order to gain their thoughts and opinions.
I was surprised that there was a mix of responses. I expected the students to prefer the online atlases, especially due to the fact that our current atlases are not very good! (They are outdated and contain very basic information.) Of the online atlases we viewed, the most popular one was the Canadian National Geographic Atlas for Kids. The Fact Monster World Atlas was also popular, particularly as it includes links to almanacs and Amazon. (I found that the students using the Fact Monster website were easily distracted by the unrelated links however.) What I found of particular interest is that they enjoyed playing around on the websites, however when I asked them a particular question that required them to locate a city and tell me its latitudinal location, some of the students abandoned the computer if favor of the print atlas.
The teachers, without exception, preferred the print atlases. Aside from their lack of knowledge of the website we explored or their lack of comfort with technology as a whole, they felt that teaching with texts was easier. It is easier to ensure that students are on task, there is not the concern of technology failure and they believe that the tangible factor that print atlases offer is more condusive to learning. I must admit when I open an atlas I touch the pages and follow my finger around the various countries or regions. And I noticed that most of the students (and teachers) did to. Nobody was tempted to touch the computer screen!
So perhaps this won’t be the last set of print atlases I purchase. But as the technology in our school improves and becomes a reliable teaching tool, I hope that teachers will consider supplementing their print resources with electronic ones. There are so many wonderful resources out there that can enlighten and inspire in a way that a print version cannot.
My new favorite geographical gem link: http://hubpages.com/hub/World_Atlas
It is interesting how the online chatter about atlases has found its way back to the earlier debate of print versus electronic. I am biased in this area - I admit that I lean to the electronic versions - however I am not the teacher nor the student that will frequently use either. My opinion may be guided by Reidling’s criteria but once again I am not the principle user. This thought inspired me to poll a few teachers and students in order to gain their thoughts and opinions.
I was surprised that there was a mix of responses. I expected the students to prefer the online atlases, especially due to the fact that our current atlases are not very good! (They are outdated and contain very basic information.) Of the online atlases we viewed, the most popular one was the Canadian National Geographic Atlas for Kids. The Fact Monster World Atlas was also popular, particularly as it includes links to almanacs and Amazon. (I found that the students using the Fact Monster website were easily distracted by the unrelated links however.) What I found of particular interest is that they enjoyed playing around on the websites, however when I asked them a particular question that required them to locate a city and tell me its latitudinal location, some of the students abandoned the computer if favor of the print atlas.
The teachers, without exception, preferred the print atlases. Aside from their lack of knowledge of the website we explored or their lack of comfort with technology as a whole, they felt that teaching with texts was easier. It is easier to ensure that students are on task, there is not the concern of technology failure and they believe that the tangible factor that print atlases offer is more condusive to learning. I must admit when I open an atlas I touch the pages and follow my finger around the various countries or regions. And I noticed that most of the students (and teachers) did to. Nobody was tempted to touch the computer screen!
So perhaps this won’t be the last set of print atlases I purchase. But as the technology in our school improves and becomes a reliable teaching tool, I hope that teachers will consider supplementing their print resources with electronic ones. There are so many wonderful resources out there that can enlighten and inspire in a way that a print version cannot.
My new favorite geographical gem link: http://hubpages.com/hub/World_Atlas
Databases
There has been some interesting discussion in our forum about the use of databases, in particular using databases for research purposes. The comment was made that many of the “research projects” that students undertake do not require true research. They are able to use google or a few books to fulfill their research needs. I think this is one reason why databases are underused in schools – teachers are not providing research projects that direct students to engage in deeper levels of research. This is particularly worrying for high school students who need to understand how to use databases and access scholarly information when they go to university.
I think that there has been an assumption that students are able to navigate databases without direct instruction. But this is not so. Databases will continue to be underused and overlooked until we implicitly teach students how to effectively and efficiently use them. With more and more resources going online and out of print (such as the Canadian Encyclopedia, as someone pointed out), we must familiarize ourselves and teach our students how to shift from print to electronic resources. As both Wayne and Chantal have pointed out,we must invest an adequate amount of time for instruction and research remembering the importance of the research process. The process must be the focus - not the product.
Our district has purchased licenses for a World Book Bundle (World Book Online Reference Centre, World Book Kids, World Book Advanced and L’Encyclopedie Decouverte) in addition to Encyclopedia of BC Online and EBSCO Publishing. In the four elementary schools I have taught in within my district, I can say that they are completely underused. In two of the schools, this was due to poor technology. In the other two schools, it was a lack of knowledge about the databases. Like Chantal and Angela have commented, there seems to be a lack of awareness about them.
I have to admit that I am not a huge user of the databases our district has purchased licenses for. Why not? Because the only place I can reliably access them is from home. Our school computers in the lab are so archaic that they take ten minutes to log on and then a minute to load each page. They are unbelievable. So they are not used that much. As computer budgets are now at the school level, you are at the mercy of your administration to set aside money for computers. At our school, most of the teachers are not particularly tech savvy, hence they have not advocated in the past for better computers. Finally this year the PAC is working with the tech committee to purchase a class set of laptops. Hooray!
I find the situation my school is in to be bizarre. How can our school district fork over so much money for databases when the schools don’t even have equipment that is needed to access them? I think that it was a mistake to move the onus to the schools for purchasing technology. The technology budget used to be at the district level, which ensured a basic standard in all schools. I cannot begin to promote databases until I have technology that supports their use. Thank god they haven't shifted the budget for databases to the school level...
I think that there has been an assumption that students are able to navigate databases without direct instruction. But this is not so. Databases will continue to be underused and overlooked until we implicitly teach students how to effectively and efficiently use them. With more and more resources going online and out of print (such as the Canadian Encyclopedia, as someone pointed out), we must familiarize ourselves and teach our students how to shift from print to electronic resources. As both Wayne and Chantal have pointed out,we must invest an adequate amount of time for instruction and research remembering the importance of the research process. The process must be the focus - not the product.
Our district has purchased licenses for a World Book Bundle (World Book Online Reference Centre, World Book Kids, World Book Advanced and L’Encyclopedie Decouverte) in addition to Encyclopedia of BC Online and EBSCO Publishing. In the four elementary schools I have taught in within my district, I can say that they are completely underused. In two of the schools, this was due to poor technology. In the other two schools, it was a lack of knowledge about the databases. Like Chantal and Angela have commented, there seems to be a lack of awareness about them.
I have to admit that I am not a huge user of the databases our district has purchased licenses for. Why not? Because the only place I can reliably access them is from home. Our school computers in the lab are so archaic that they take ten minutes to log on and then a minute to load each page. They are unbelievable. So they are not used that much. As computer budgets are now at the school level, you are at the mercy of your administration to set aside money for computers. At our school, most of the teachers are not particularly tech savvy, hence they have not advocated in the past for better computers. Finally this year the PAC is working with the tech committee to purchase a class set of laptops. Hooray!
I find the situation my school is in to be bizarre. How can our school district fork over so much money for databases when the schools don’t even have equipment that is needed to access them? I think that it was a mistake to move the onus to the schools for purchasing technology. The technology budget used to be at the district level, which ensured a basic standard in all schools. I cannot begin to promote databases until I have technology that supports their use. Thank god they haven't shifted the budget for databases to the school level...
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