Exemplary School Libraries in Ontario: a study by Queen's University and People for Education. (2009). The Ontario Library Association.
Response to the article:
Exemplary School Libraries by Elizabeth A. Lee and Don A. Klinger, Queen's University. The Teaching Librarian, Volume 17, no. 1. (20 - 22).
The response article to Exemplary School Libraries is based around a key quote from one teacher-librarian who participated in the study: "We are the centre of all action... where teachers and students start their day and travel to the library during the day and end their day." It is important that we strive for the characteristics of an exemplary school library.
The research involved eight elementary schools from three Ontario school boards and include observations of the library program, and interviews with teacher-librarians, teachers, administrators, and volunteers. They also surveyed 350 students from 21 Grade 4, 5, and 6 classrooms in these eight schools (p. 20). Since I work in a secondary school, it would be interesting to see a study involving secondary schools; however, I predict that the results would be similar to the results found in this study.
The key points from the study and the response article are that the teacher-librarian must be welcoming to students, teachers, and the community, and collaborate with teachers in supporting learning. The TL should continually modify the existing context to enhance the role of the library program (p. 20). Another characteristic of an exemplary school program is the teacher-librarian developes a program that maximizes the amount of time devoted to teaching (p. 20). As we can observe, the knowledge and expertise of the TL is key to maximizing the school library program.
The study describes four program levels; however, they were unable to "categorize any programs as a Level 4" (p. 21) because of "intermittant support" (p. 21). A level four program includes systemic administrative support at the school, school board, and provincial levels--both in funding and policy. Funding is a major challenge in providing the standards for exemplary school libraries. Despite lack of funding, these exemplary school libraries were innovative and creative.
There are several ongoing challenges that hinder the process of providing exemplary library programs, such as lack of adequate funding; lack of provincial policy to ensure all schools have fully-functioning libraries; and lack of support or lack of awareness of principals. It is essential that principals regard the teacher-librarian as a key teaching member of their staff, allocate adequate resources, and protect the librarian from excessive preparation time coverage.
The researchers' findings highlight the need for teacher-librarians to be highly adaptable, changing their manner of approach to suit the styles of the teachers with whom they work and their current school context (p. 36). Collaboration is a key component in a highly successful library program.
If each school library were to have a teacher-librarian who taught children and youth the skills necessary to be effective users of information in all its forms, a powerful mechanism would be in place for enabling Canadian children and youth to be literate citizens, lifelong learners, and contributing adults in a learning society (AIL, p. 5). I would add fulltime before the word "teacher-librarian." In addition, I would add that school libraries have a library clerk so that the teacher-librarian can maximize teaching and collaboration time. Too often, we see the library as first on the cutting block when funding gets tight to the detriment of society. Let's strive for exemplary school libraries!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Article: "The Reference Interview: Theories and Practice"
The Reference Interview
When I was looking for articles about references or reference services, I spent many days looking for an appropriate article. I was having trouble because I was not exactly sure what I was looking for. First, I went to the Ebsco online database. I typed in all kinds of terms using Boolean logic, such as "references," "reference services," AND "librarian," AND "schools," AND "information literacy," etc. I was having a difficult time finding just the right article. Almost everyone has experienced this kind of uncertainty and frustration when initiating a research project (Kuhlthau's Information Seeking Process, p. 9). I went to the public library and talked to the teen librarian. Help!!! She suggested I look up how to select good resources. No, I did not want to write about selection of resources. This project is due in a week and I am starting to panic. So, I go to the College. I sit down at a computer and start my research. Normally, someone comes over and asks me if I am finding what I am looking for, the real reason I am at the College and not searching on my computer at home. No one comes over this time. After reading many articles, I finally find the perfect title: "The Reference Interview: Theories and Practice," I remember that this is a topic that is coming up in lesson five of the course and someone mentioned the reference interview when we looked at definitions (Manjit Boota). I have not read lesson five as of yet; however, I find this article interesting because it relates to one of Riedling's components of successful reference services for the school library media specialist that I would like to improve on: "effective conversational skills (communication)" (p. 4). I am totally engrossed in my reading and thinking about how I can apply this information to my library when the librarian walks up to me and asks: "Do you realize that you have been on the computer for almost an hour and a half? That is an hour past the half hour you are allowed to use the computers before we start charging a fee." I ask her if I can email the article to myself (I didn't know if I needed a certain password to use the online databases from the College). She points at the email icon on my screen and walks away. I email the article to myself, collect my belongings, and I ask, "How much for the extra hour?" She said, "Don't worry about it now." I said, "Thank you," and left. Normally, I would not have thought another thing about this confrontation; however, I was just reading about the reference interview.... According to Stephanie Brown's article, "The Reference Interview: Theories and Practice," the librarian at the College could have handled this situation a lot differently.
"One of the primary functions as a school library media specialist is to assist students in the use of the library and its collections" (Riedling, p. 91). According to Stephanie Brown, there are many examples of questions and it is up to the teacher-librarian to "translate the patron's question into one that can be answered" (p 1). "Regardless of patron or library type, you would approach each patron the same way, although you would provide them with different kinds of materials" (p. 1). Brown's example concerning a question about finding information about breast cancer is a perfect illustration of the many approaches to just one topic. Depending on who is asking the question, there are several different answers to an inquiry about breast cancer. For example, the teacher-librarian would provide or guide the patron to the different types of information sources if the person is in the medical field, or if the person is a student in a Health class, or if the person is a survivor of breast cancer (p.2). Time is another element when considering a patron's request (p. 2). Many students write a research paper the night before and possibly do not get the best resources because he or she must make do with what is readily available at the moment; however, the teacher-librarian will direct someone who is working on a dissertation to many resources and databases. (p. 2). In fact, in my case, I did not ask the librarian any questions and she did not approach me for an hour and a half.
Communication is an important component of the teacher-librarian's success in helping the person answer their questions. Brown asks us to consider the patron's "real question" and uses another good example to get her point across. For example, if someone vaguely remembers an article in a Time magazine and asks a question about information on the "war in Iraq" (p. 2), there could be many possible answers to this question. The person could be mistaken concerning the title of the magazine, not quite sure about the volume or issue, or maybe the professor wants the student to use journals and not popular magazines. The student may have trouble "articulating precisely what he needs" (p. 3). It is the job of the teacher-librarian to ask "clarifying questions" during a reference interview. The Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science (ODLIS) defines "reference interview" as
"The interpersonal communication that occurs between a reference librarian and a library user to determine the person's specific information need(s), which may turn out to be different than the reference question as initially posed. Because patrons are often reticent, especially in face-to-face interaction, patience and tact may be required on the part of the librarian. A reference interview may occur in person, by telephone, or electronically (usually via email) at the request of the user, but a well-trained reference librarian will sometimes initiate communication if a hesitant user appears to need assistance." (Reitz, 2007).
Consequently, the opportunity of having a reference interview and saving time--the half hour instead of an hour and a half--were lost during my visit to the College library (No blame here because I did not ask a question in the first place.).
Brown lists the five important elements, or stages, of the reference interview from "Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers"created and updated by The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association:
1. Approachability
2. Interest
3. Listening / Inquiring
4. Searching
5. Follow up
The key points are to make sure that we do not appear too busy to help our patrons(p.3), appear interested in the question that the patron asks (p. 4), ask clarifying questions and listen to the responses (p. 4), search (p. 4), and follow up (p. 5). I know that I am guilty of appearing too busy and must constantly remind myself to pay attention to what is going on around me. It is quite amazing that I can tune out everyone and everything in such a busy place when I am working on a task. I am working on being more aware of my surroundings when I am busy. I do not feel that my trip to the College was a successful reference interview in any way.
Brown suggests another way to provide reference services is the "roving" reference(p. 5). The librarian approaches the patron. I like this method because students do not always want to approach the librarian for help. Possibly, they might feel as though they are interupting the librarian. I know I felt that I did not want to interupt the librarian at the College; however, if either one of us approached the other, we would have saved a lot of time and still found appropriate resources. I know that I want to be more pro-active in approaching students and helping with the answers to their questions.
In conclusion, it is very ironic that I found this article about the reference interview just before the College librarian approached me. This article indicates that it is crucial to have a positive, welcoming approach to one's patrons, have an interest in the person and what they have to say, have excellent questioning skills, know the collection well, so ythe TL can show the person to the right resources in order to answer their question, and follow up in case the person needs further help or information. We want the person to leave the library satisfied with their learning process.
References
Brown, Stephanie W. "The Reference Interview: Theories and Practice" from Ebsco Online. February 2008. Accessed from Library Philosophy and Practice on 26/1/10.
This article has also been published in the journal Biblioletra, published by the National and University Library of Kosova.
Reitz, Joan M. "Reference Interview" from the Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science (ODLIS). updated 17 November 2007. Accessed from Libraries Unlimited on 26/1/10 at http://lu.com/odlis/search.cfm.
Riedling, Ann. Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and Tips, 2nd Edition. (2005). Worthington, Ohio: Linworth Books.
When I was looking for articles about references or reference services, I spent many days looking for an appropriate article. I was having trouble because I was not exactly sure what I was looking for. First, I went to the Ebsco online database. I typed in all kinds of terms using Boolean logic, such as "references," "reference services," AND "librarian," AND "schools," AND "information literacy," etc. I was having a difficult time finding just the right article. Almost everyone has experienced this kind of uncertainty and frustration when initiating a research project (Kuhlthau's Information Seeking Process, p. 9). I went to the public library and talked to the teen librarian. Help!!! She suggested I look up how to select good resources. No, I did not want to write about selection of resources. This project is due in a week and I am starting to panic. So, I go to the College. I sit down at a computer and start my research. Normally, someone comes over and asks me if I am finding what I am looking for, the real reason I am at the College and not searching on my computer at home. No one comes over this time. After reading many articles, I finally find the perfect title: "The Reference Interview: Theories and Practice," I remember that this is a topic that is coming up in lesson five of the course and someone mentioned the reference interview when we looked at definitions (Manjit Boota). I have not read lesson five as of yet; however, I find this article interesting because it relates to one of Riedling's components of successful reference services for the school library media specialist that I would like to improve on: "effective conversational skills (communication)" (p. 4). I am totally engrossed in my reading and thinking about how I can apply this information to my library when the librarian walks up to me and asks: "Do you realize that you have been on the computer for almost an hour and a half? That is an hour past the half hour you are allowed to use the computers before we start charging a fee." I ask her if I can email the article to myself (I didn't know if I needed a certain password to use the online databases from the College). She points at the email icon on my screen and walks away. I email the article to myself, collect my belongings, and I ask, "How much for the extra hour?" She said, "Don't worry about it now." I said, "Thank you," and left. Normally, I would not have thought another thing about this confrontation; however, I was just reading about the reference interview.... According to Stephanie Brown's article, "The Reference Interview: Theories and Practice," the librarian at the College could have handled this situation a lot differently.
"One of the primary functions as a school library media specialist is to assist students in the use of the library and its collections" (Riedling, p. 91). According to Stephanie Brown, there are many examples of questions and it is up to the teacher-librarian to "translate the patron's question into one that can be answered" (p 1). "Regardless of patron or library type, you would approach each patron the same way, although you would provide them with different kinds of materials" (p. 1). Brown's example concerning a question about finding information about breast cancer is a perfect illustration of the many approaches to just one topic. Depending on who is asking the question, there are several different answers to an inquiry about breast cancer. For example, the teacher-librarian would provide or guide the patron to the different types of information sources if the person is in the medical field, or if the person is a student in a Health class, or if the person is a survivor of breast cancer (p.2). Time is another element when considering a patron's request (p. 2). Many students write a research paper the night before and possibly do not get the best resources because he or she must make do with what is readily available at the moment; however, the teacher-librarian will direct someone who is working on a dissertation to many resources and databases. (p. 2). In fact, in my case, I did not ask the librarian any questions and she did not approach me for an hour and a half.
Communication is an important component of the teacher-librarian's success in helping the person answer their questions. Brown asks us to consider the patron's "real question" and uses another good example to get her point across. For example, if someone vaguely remembers an article in a Time magazine and asks a question about information on the "war in Iraq" (p. 2), there could be many possible answers to this question. The person could be mistaken concerning the title of the magazine, not quite sure about the volume or issue, or maybe the professor wants the student to use journals and not popular magazines. The student may have trouble "articulating precisely what he needs" (p. 3). It is the job of the teacher-librarian to ask "clarifying questions" during a reference interview. The Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science (ODLIS) defines "reference interview" as
"The interpersonal communication that occurs between a reference librarian and a library user to determine the person's specific information need(s), which may turn out to be different than the reference question as initially posed. Because patrons are often reticent, especially in face-to-face interaction, patience and tact may be required on the part of the librarian. A reference interview may occur in person, by telephone, or electronically (usually via email) at the request of the user, but a well-trained reference librarian will sometimes initiate communication if a hesitant user appears to need assistance." (Reitz, 2007).
Consequently, the opportunity of having a reference interview and saving time--the half hour instead of an hour and a half--were lost during my visit to the College library (No blame here because I did not ask a question in the first place.).
Brown lists the five important elements, or stages, of the reference interview from "Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers"created and updated by The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association:
1. Approachability
2. Interest
3. Listening / Inquiring
4. Searching
5. Follow up
The key points are to make sure that we do not appear too busy to help our patrons(p.3), appear interested in the question that the patron asks (p. 4), ask clarifying questions and listen to the responses (p. 4), search (p. 4), and follow up (p. 5). I know that I am guilty of appearing too busy and must constantly remind myself to pay attention to what is going on around me. It is quite amazing that I can tune out everyone and everything in such a busy place when I am working on a task. I am working on being more aware of my surroundings when I am busy. I do not feel that my trip to the College was a successful reference interview in any way.
Brown suggests another way to provide reference services is the "roving" reference(p. 5). The librarian approaches the patron. I like this method because students do not always want to approach the librarian for help. Possibly, they might feel as though they are interupting the librarian. I know I felt that I did not want to interupt the librarian at the College; however, if either one of us approached the other, we would have saved a lot of time and still found appropriate resources. I know that I want to be more pro-active in approaching students and helping with the answers to their questions.
In conclusion, it is very ironic that I found this article about the reference interview just before the College librarian approached me. This article indicates that it is crucial to have a positive, welcoming approach to one's patrons, have an interest in the person and what they have to say, have excellent questioning skills, know the collection well, so ythe TL can show the person to the right resources in order to answer their question, and follow up in case the person needs further help or information. We want the person to leave the library satisfied with their learning process.
References
Brown, Stephanie W. "The Reference Interview: Theories and Practice" from Ebsco Online. February 2008. Accessed from Library Philosophy and Practice on 26/1/10.
This article has also been published in the journal Biblioletra, published by the National and University Library of Kosova.
Reitz, Joan M. "Reference Interview" from the Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science (ODLIS). updated 17 November 2007. Accessed from Libraries Unlimited on 26/1/10 at http://lu.com/odlis/search.cfm.
Riedling, Ann. Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and Tips, 2nd Edition. (2005). Worthington, Ohio: Linworth Books.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Reference Materials
It is reasonable and vital to expect a secondary school to achieve the acceptable level; however, I cannot imagine how an elementary school could reach an acceptable level. My school comes close to acceptable or acceptable in many areas, mostly as a result of the previous librarian. She purchased a set of new World Books last year; I purchased new Health Science Encyclopedias this year. We subscribe to 18 databases. We only get one local newspaper though, which is below level. We have 72 periodicals. We have over 400 videos and DVDs; however, I still need to weed this section. I am sure many titles are out-dated or not relevant anymore. Most of the resources are current and in good shape. The Professional resources section needs to be weeded as well. Some areas are exemplary, such as computer software programs. However, since funding is below standard, according to Achieving Information Literacy (p. 35), approximately $18.00 per student, it will be a challenge to maintain the acceptable level or build to an exemplary level. Also, this is the first year that the teacher-librarian position is not full time (I teach one block of English 9 every other day). To compensate for below standard funding, I applied to the Tech committee and PAC to purchase 32 new Netbooks. I wrote a proposal to Raise a Reader for Follett Playaways and mp3 players to download books and I got approved for $1450.00.
Notes after reading discussion postings.
Many schools are below acceptable levels. This is a shame. Funding and service cuts are a huge disservice to our youth. Teacher-librarians are an imaginative bunch in creating the special services that they try to uphold. I imagine it is difficult to continue with a diploma that does not see everyone getting a full-time library position as funding for the library continues to get cut with more budget constraints. Even my position was full time last year. Next year, I do not know if I will still have this job because 14 schools in our district are closing and I am a junior librarian. It is super important to be proactive in developing a library program.
Notes after reading discussion postings.
Many schools are below acceptable levels. This is a shame. Funding and service cuts are a huge disservice to our youth. Teacher-librarians are an imaginative bunch in creating the special services that they try to uphold. I imagine it is difficult to continue with a diploma that does not see everyone getting a full-time library position as funding for the library continues to get cut with more budget constraints. Even my position was full time last year. Next year, I do not know if I will still have this job because 14 schools in our district are closing and I am a junior librarian. It is super important to be proactive in developing a library program.
Riedling's Approach
I do not see any problems with Riedling's approach to the Evaluation Process; the criteria is laid out in a logical format and is a useful guide when considering the selection of resources. However, I have a couple of questions. By reputation, does she mean, for example, a publisher, such as World Book compared to a more obscure publisher? As for education of an author, I tell the students when searching Electronic sites that just because the author is identified as a Dr., do not be fooled by biases or advertisements.In response to some of the discussion concerning time and cost, collaboration with teachers and asking questions will help save time. For example, we just received a box from KnowBuddy. There are some very good books concerning the drama curriculum. The books satisfy all Riedling's criteria. However, I do not want to purchase the books if the teacher is not going to use them. It is handy to have the books in your hands to preview; otherwise, I sent an email to the teacher with the suggested resource and a link to Amazon or Chapters. I just saved a lot of money on Tourism books that the teacher said she did not know if she would use, and after checking the collection, we have a lot of books that she can use for her course. Also, I check the table of contents of the books in the preview boxes; if the topics deal mostly with American content that is not relevant to the students lives, I do not waste too much more time perusing the book. I also tell teachers that I am open to suggestions for purchasing resources. I always check the reviews. BookList is one very good resource for checking reviews.To save money, I do not purchase videos or material that is at the District Resource Centre. Sharing resources between schools also saves money.
The Need to Promote an "Information Skills Framework"
It is very important to promote an "Information Skills Framework" in my school. First, as an English teacher for the last three years in my school, I noticed that there did not seem to be any consistency when it came to citing, an important step in the research process. For example, I gave my students a persuasive speech assignment and I asked the students to incorporate information, complete a working bibliography, and hand in a Works Cited page with their speech. When it came time to give the speeches, the students speeches were interesting; however, the majority of students did not cite or hand in a Works Cited page (I showed visual examples, written examples; I wrote a sample Works Cited page on the side board and left it there for the entire speech unit). Consequently, I gave the students zero in the class, photocopied the speeches for administration, and started phoning home following our school's plagiarism policy. Quickly, I realized that this was not going to work--students were crying on the phone and parents were getting angry. I went to the administration and told them what my problem was so we came up with the solution that students have another chance to cite their information and hand in a Works Cited page in order to get a mark for their speech. This caused such an uproar with students and parents, but I held my ground. The administration backed me through the whole process. The problem lies in a lack of consistency in the school when it came to citing research (Outcome 2: Uses Information responsibly, p. 11). If all teachers expect citations, then the students will not feel as though they can skip that step of the research process. Also, another problem concerning research skills in our school is that many teachers allow the students to use Wikipedia.
In order to address these two areas of concern, as a new teacher-librarian this year, I ask teachers who book the library to bring a copy of their research project so I may pull the appropriate resources and then I ask if I may give the students a demonstration before they start. I also ask the teachers if they have time to book the library for three days and I break down their assignments into sections--informational books, databases, and Internet sites. For example, the first day I show students how to access information from the catalogue, use an advanced search, and Boolean logic. I talk to students about the seriousness of plagiarism. I hand out a Working Bibliography sheet and a sample Bibliography according to subject (MLA, APA, and Chicago / Turabian). Students only use books the first day. The second day, I give a demonstration on how to access the databases, show students the various features, save research in a folder, use the notes icon, and citation icon. Also, I give students a bookmark with the passwords so that they can access the databases from home. On the third day, I give the students a Web Evaluation exercise before they start their Internet research, reminding the students that they must cite their information (Outcome 4; Uses Information Critically, p. 13). I ask students not to use Wikipedia; however, they may use it to check out the references or use it for looking for certain terms for their research process. Most teachers agree to this process. However, I ran into one problem concerning research in books about careers in the foods and hospitality area. The information in the books was not as current as information on the Internet in such a dynamic industry. This three-step process allows students to access a wide range of materials; otherwise, students look up everything on the Internet and cut and paste. Some classes research in collaborative groups; presentations are completed in a variety of formats. I also encourage teachers to have students use and cite a minimum of two books, Internet cites, and one or two database articles.
Since my plagiarism issue and my new position in the library, I have definitely seen a huge improvement; however, there is still the odd teacher who does not insist that the students cite their information. One strength at my school is that teachers design lessons so that the students can use the information expressively (Outcome 7: Uses Information Expressively, p. 16).
In order to address these two areas of concern, as a new teacher-librarian this year, I ask teachers who book the library to bring a copy of their research project so I may pull the appropriate resources and then I ask if I may give the students a demonstration before they start. I also ask the teachers if they have time to book the library for three days and I break down their assignments into sections--informational books, databases, and Internet sites. For example, the first day I show students how to access information from the catalogue, use an advanced search, and Boolean logic. I talk to students about the seriousness of plagiarism. I hand out a Working Bibliography sheet and a sample Bibliography according to subject (MLA, APA, and Chicago / Turabian). Students only use books the first day. The second day, I give a demonstration on how to access the databases, show students the various features, save research in a folder, use the notes icon, and citation icon. Also, I give students a bookmark with the passwords so that they can access the databases from home. On the third day, I give the students a Web Evaluation exercise before they start their Internet research, reminding the students that they must cite their information (Outcome 4; Uses Information Critically, p. 13). I ask students not to use Wikipedia; however, they may use it to check out the references or use it for looking for certain terms for their research process. Most teachers agree to this process. However, I ran into one problem concerning research in books about careers in the foods and hospitality area. The information in the books was not as current as information on the Internet in such a dynamic industry. This three-step process allows students to access a wide range of materials; otherwise, students look up everything on the Internet and cut and paste. Some classes research in collaborative groups; presentations are completed in a variety of formats. I also encourage teachers to have students use and cite a minimum of two books, Internet cites, and one or two database articles.
Since my plagiarism issue and my new position in the library, I have definitely seen a huge improvement; however, there is still the odd teacher who does not insist that the students cite their information. One strength at my school is that teachers design lessons so that the students can use the information expressively (Outcome 7: Uses Information Expressively, p. 16).
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Reasonable Expectations Reflection
For the last two days, I weeded the non-fiction collection in the library in order to improve in an area of vital importance as a library media specialist. One of Riedling's components consists of "knowledge of the library media collection" (a task that I have not had time to do yet, despite the fact it is January and I started in September), so I thought I would accomplish a few tasks at once. First, I have a huge order of fiction books coming in, so I need to make more room available for the books; second, next week, I am doing inventory. Weeding is a challenging job to a new librarian. While necessary, it seems unnatural for a librarian to discard books. I pulled out a lot of outdated books, but first, I made sure I had one or more resources on that topic. I laughed when I saw the date of a book titled Teen Pregnancy; I could see a parent getting quite upset concerning the information in that text. I remember a lot of the research projects that the teachers assigned because I pulled books for the students, so that also made the weeding process easier. I had a chance to look at the entire non-fiction collection. After I weeded the books out of the collection, I checked to see how many times the book was signed out, in-house uses, and the last date the book was signed out. I had to put a few books back on the shelf. I also noticed a few books that I missed pulling for certain research projects (not that I missed too many because I used the catalogue and searched key terms), but that I could pull next time the teacher assigns that particular project. I also noticed a few topics in which I needed to look for more current information. The one area that I thought looked weak because of a lot of older resources was anything to do with Canadian history. I was reluctant to discard the resources until I find more current resources (However, we have Louis Riel in the graphic format). Weeding is a great way to get to know the collection; I pulled out two trolleys of books. I feel more confident just knowing what is in the library. I was talking to a teacher who is going to teach Tourism for the first time and I had quite a few Travel guides in my ordering cart, but I wanted to make sure that she would use them because they are expensive. I sent her the links from Amazon and Chapters, so she could have a look at the titles I was considering. However, after going through the collection, I suggested that she come and have a look because we have quite a few books she could use for this year until she is sure about what and how she is going to teach the students. I bet the gazetteers will come in handy for this course.
As to the other suggestions that a teacher-librarian should possess in order to support successful reference services, such as "eagerness to apply information skills, where applicable, to all levels of student research," I spend a lot of time showing students how to access a variety of resources for their projects, such as books, the reference section, the Internet, and databases; recording their resources on a working biliography sheet; and how to cite. I love to hear the students discuss with each other the new information that they learned.Basically, I take one day at a time because learning a new job is a huge learning curve. Riedling's suggestions are not unreasonable, one must take the time to be indispensable!
As to the other suggestions that a teacher-librarian should possess in order to support successful reference services, such as "eagerness to apply information skills, where applicable, to all levels of student research," I spend a lot of time showing students how to access a variety of resources for their projects, such as books, the reference section, the Internet, and databases; recording their resources on a working biliography sheet; and how to cite. I love to hear the students discuss with each other the new information that they learned.Basically, I take one day at a time because learning a new job is a huge learning curve. Riedling's suggestions are not unreasonable, one must take the time to be indispensable!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
First Blog Experience, Definitions, and Research Models
Similar to a number of students in the LIBE 467 course, this is my first blogging experience. I panicked when four people from the class said that they could not access my blog, so I checked to see what went wrong. The problem was a simple "@" inserted in the address instead of a period. I hope it works now. Although I felt extremely frustrated at first, I am surprised how simple it is to blog. However, one thing that I am confused about is that I thought one person moderates the blog and invites the rest of the class to participate. I am not positive about that point though.
Chapter One
At the beginning of Sept. / 09, I was very excited and nervous about starting a new position as a teacher-librarian. The introduction in Ann Riedling's Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and Tips, 2nd Edition confirms that I am on the right track concerning reference work; however, it also shows that I need to get to know the library collection better to be a more effective teacher-librarian (pp. 4 and 12)--the library is a very fast-paced environment and I do not get very much time to do this. So far, I have spent a lot of my time with grade nine orientations, showing students how to access the catalogue, evaluate internet web sites, and search databases (among other things not related to this course). I was not familiar with the term Big6 Information Problem Solving before; however, this is close to the model I use for research purposes (p. 8). In addition to some of the steps outlined in the Big6 model, I suggest to the student that they should be interested in the subject. I recognize the constructivist approach to Carol Kuhlthau's six-stage model of the Information Seeking process and agree that students "produce a product of higher quality" (p. 9) as long as the assignment is an authentic learning experience. Recognizing a student's uncertainty, confusion, or frustration during the research process allows a teachable moment for the teacher-librarian. I recognize Kuhlthau's affective stages when I am working on my own research for these TL courses. This is also related to Reidling's suggestions about knowing the collection and having good communication skills. The teacher-librarian can ask a few guided questions when he or she notices frustration or uncertainty and direct the student to the best resources.
I went to a couple web sites to learn more about the research problem-solving processes and models (http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/ips.htm). In agreement with most people taking this course, the Big6 Information Problm Solving model is the most popular. Eisenberg and Berkowitz created a simpler version for young elementary students called the Super 3 --Plan, Do, Review. One question that I have concerning the research process is that many teachers ask me to pull books for a particular project that they are working on, so I was wondering if it is a better idea to have students search the catalogue, reference section, and databases on their own so that they become more efficient in life-long learning?
Note added after reading the discussion comments from others in the class:
It seems that Research Quest is more popular. I have to agree with the comments made about students appreciating a visual format. I also like the checklist that students could use as a guideline. Before the "working with information" stage, students should be taught how to take notes and paraphrase. What I learned from reading the discussion comments is to take the best parts from each research model and make it your own, such as adding citing to one model or adding reflection to another model. In the classroom, I usually introduce the students to more than one model, for example, research process, or poetry analysis, and tell the students to use the model that is most effective for them when it comes to a test. The model that works for one student may not work for another, so having a choice is always good. After one class completed a research project, I realized that students need to learn how to use Boolean logic; they also need to learn how to find another word, term, or synonym. For example, when students are looking for university residence on the Internet, they also need to know terms, such as accommodation, dormitories, etc. Knowing Boolean logic and other key terms helps students broaden or narrow the topic.
Definitions in Riedling
There are a few terms in the glossary that I am not familiar with, such as Bibliographic Network. Bibliographic Utilities, and Union Catalogue. I typed in RLIN Bibliographic Network into google. I was amazed by the amount of information--over 50 million entries in many languages--that is included. I have heard of a gazetteer, but I have not seen or used one before. I will check one out at my library on Monday.
I typed gazetteer into the library catalogue and was surprised to see about five entries. I went to the reference section to browse through the book. The first task I did was check the copyright information -- 2003. I looked up Canada and learned that one can watch plate tectonics in action in Newfoundland. The information included, population, area, etc., reminds me of projects that I completed when I went to school, so I probably did not remember the term gazetteer. A student asked me how many people lived in Canada the day before I looked in the gazetteer. I could have given him an approximate number. Instead, I told him that he could check on the Internet. While some information is more current on the Internet than the information in a book, the gazetteer is still a useful resource tool.
Note added March 21 / 10.
I looked over the glossary again in Riedling's text. The first time I looked over the terms, I felt I was learning a new language. I feel as if I understand all of the terms after the amount of discussion and reding we have been doing throughout this course.
Reflection
I do not think the six components that the teacher-librarian must perform to support reference services are unreasonable expectations. One area that I need to improve in is getting to know my collection. This will save a lot of time for me because I still need to go to the catalogue a lot of the time. Another time saver is collaborating with the teacher showing the teacher where and how to search, so that they can assist the students when they bring their class to the library. For example, I was very surprised when teachers tell me that they do not use the databases. When I show the teachers the databases, they are amazed. For this reason, I am giving a presentation to the PAC committee next week (cancelled due to School Board meeting about the recommendations for 14 school closures in the Prince George district) and I am giving a pro-d workshop for staff on how to use the databases at the end of January. After reading all the terms in Riedling's glossary, I anticipate that I have a lot to learn about reference material. I was very surprised that many people in this class are learning to Blog at the same time. I was also surprised that a lot of people were not sure about what a gazetteer was and a few other similar terms. It is very interesting learning together and from one another.
Chapter One
At the beginning of Sept. / 09, I was very excited and nervous about starting a new position as a teacher-librarian. The introduction in Ann Riedling's Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and Tips, 2nd Edition confirms that I am on the right track concerning reference work; however, it also shows that I need to get to know the library collection better to be a more effective teacher-librarian (pp. 4 and 12)--the library is a very fast-paced environment and I do not get very much time to do this. So far, I have spent a lot of my time with grade nine orientations, showing students how to access the catalogue, evaluate internet web sites, and search databases (among other things not related to this course). I was not familiar with the term Big6 Information Problem Solving before; however, this is close to the model I use for research purposes (p. 8). In addition to some of the steps outlined in the Big6 model, I suggest to the student that they should be interested in the subject. I recognize the constructivist approach to Carol Kuhlthau's six-stage model of the Information Seeking process and agree that students "produce a product of higher quality" (p. 9) as long as the assignment is an authentic learning experience. Recognizing a student's uncertainty, confusion, or frustration during the research process allows a teachable moment for the teacher-librarian. I recognize Kuhlthau's affective stages when I am working on my own research for these TL courses. This is also related to Reidling's suggestions about knowing the collection and having good communication skills. The teacher-librarian can ask a few guided questions when he or she notices frustration or uncertainty and direct the student to the best resources.
I went to a couple web sites to learn more about the research problem-solving processes and models (http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/ips.htm). In agreement with most people taking this course, the Big6 Information Problm Solving model is the most popular. Eisenberg and Berkowitz created a simpler version for young elementary students called the Super 3 --Plan, Do, Review. One question that I have concerning the research process is that many teachers ask me to pull books for a particular project that they are working on, so I was wondering if it is a better idea to have students search the catalogue, reference section, and databases on their own so that they become more efficient in life-long learning?
Note added after reading the discussion comments from others in the class:
It seems that Research Quest is more popular. I have to agree with the comments made about students appreciating a visual format. I also like the checklist that students could use as a guideline. Before the "working with information" stage, students should be taught how to take notes and paraphrase. What I learned from reading the discussion comments is to take the best parts from each research model and make it your own, such as adding citing to one model or adding reflection to another model. In the classroom, I usually introduce the students to more than one model, for example, research process, or poetry analysis, and tell the students to use the model that is most effective for them when it comes to a test. The model that works for one student may not work for another, so having a choice is always good. After one class completed a research project, I realized that students need to learn how to use Boolean logic; they also need to learn how to find another word, term, or synonym. For example, when students are looking for university residence on the Internet, they also need to know terms, such as accommodation, dormitories, etc. Knowing Boolean logic and other key terms helps students broaden or narrow the topic.
Definitions in Riedling
There are a few terms in the glossary that I am not familiar with, such as Bibliographic Network. Bibliographic Utilities, and Union Catalogue. I typed in RLIN Bibliographic Network into google. I was amazed by the amount of information--over 50 million entries in many languages--that is included. I have heard of a gazetteer, but I have not seen or used one before. I will check one out at my library on Monday.
I typed gazetteer into the library catalogue and was surprised to see about five entries. I went to the reference section to browse through the book. The first task I did was check the copyright information -- 2003. I looked up Canada and learned that one can watch plate tectonics in action in Newfoundland. The information included, population, area, etc., reminds me of projects that I completed when I went to school, so I probably did not remember the term gazetteer. A student asked me how many people lived in Canada the day before I looked in the gazetteer. I could have given him an approximate number. Instead, I told him that he could check on the Internet. While some information is more current on the Internet than the information in a book, the gazetteer is still a useful resource tool.
Note added March 21 / 10.
I looked over the glossary again in Riedling's text. The first time I looked over the terms, I felt I was learning a new language. I feel as if I understand all of the terms after the amount of discussion and reding we have been doing throughout this course.
Reflection
I do not think the six components that the teacher-librarian must perform to support reference services are unreasonable expectations. One area that I need to improve in is getting to know my collection. This will save a lot of time for me because I still need to go to the catalogue a lot of the time. Another time saver is collaborating with the teacher showing the teacher where and how to search, so that they can assist the students when they bring their class to the library. For example, I was very surprised when teachers tell me that they do not use the databases. When I show the teachers the databases, they are amazed. For this reason, I am giving a presentation to the PAC committee next week (cancelled due to School Board meeting about the recommendations for 14 school closures in the Prince George district) and I am giving a pro-d workshop for staff on how to use the databases at the end of January. After reading all the terms in Riedling's glossary, I anticipate that I have a lot to learn about reference material. I was very surprised that many people in this class are learning to Blog at the same time. I was also surprised that a lot of people were not sure about what a gazetteer was and a few other similar terms. It is very interesting learning together and from one another.
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