S.O.S. for Information Literacy

In case you haven't stumbled across this website yet, http://www.informationliteracy.org/ S.O.S. for Information Literacy provides us with some great resources--even a "build your own" feature which allows students to actively take part in the lesson.  The resource is free and it does require you to create an account if you wish to customize the site, but you don't need to do that if you just want to access the resources of the website.  The site bills itself as the "Virtual Idea Factory for Teaching Information Skills" and is recognized as one of the "Top 25 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning" by AASL. 

The site was created as part of a research grant designed to improve the way information literacy skills were being taught.  Now for the kicker--the grant is funded by the Dept. of Education so it may be impacted by the downturn in the economy.  It came online in 2006 so I'm crossing my fingers that it's going to be around for awhile. 

The site's help feature is disguised under "Resources - Training" and some of the links and Spotlight (periodical) are dead and/or dated.  However, the lessons on the site align to the Standards for the 21st Century Learner and for the most part are pretty solid.  The search function is pretty easy to use and the advanced search allows you to search by standards and assessments.  The only little glitch I found was there is not direct "home" link.  Instead, if you click on the SOS banner at the top of the page it will get you back to the home page. 

I have created an account and hope to begin building and customizing the site with my lessons, resources, and activities blended with those found on the site.  I hope somebody else will forge this trail with me. Don't forget, this blog is a great tool for us to use to collaborate.   I look forward to your comments and posts! 

Whew--Almost Done!

Many of you are probably beginning to sigh in relief--hopefully not in frustration.  As we discussed before, this was WAY more than the standard book study.  Most of you are to the point of posting your lessons and glogs.  Even if you have not put the finishing touches on these items, please post them so we know that you are having success in using the technology itself.  Also, please go back through the blog and make sure you have posted to all discussion questions.

Just a reminder, that when you "link" your glogs to the website, put them on the Technology Matters page, under Web 2.0 Tools.  Choose "edit page" to get started, then put in the text you want to show (as a separate bullet point) and highlight that text before selecting "link".  Once you do this, select "web address" and paste in your URL address to your glog.  Select "ok" and you should be linked!

The lessons can be attached to the Lesson Ideas page and they are actually attachments.  You should see this at the bottom of your page and it works similarly to an attachment to an e-mail.  Don't forget about using Google docs from time to time as this is an open format that allows for us to collaboratively create lessons and documents. 

Despite some glitches and hitches I think the value of what you learned will outweigh the pain it took to get there.  If you have any questions about getting things posted or wrapping up loose ends, let me know.  We hope to continue to use these tools in the future to collaborate and share. Thanks to all of you for working so hard to continue growing professionally.  See you all the 19th!

Week 8 - Big 6 Rocks!

Now that we have unraveled the Big 6 from all sides, I hope you are all a little more comfortable finding ways to plug it into your curriculum.  As library media specialists we have the luxury of finding ways to connect the Big 6 to all content areas and help our students learn how to solve the problems.  After teaching this problem solving process my students all agree that having a strategy they can use to break down a task into more managable pieces helps them successfully tackle problems. The six-step process provides them with a goal, a plan and focus to help them reach the goal, and a more satisfying conclusion knowing they have greater control of the outcome.  In a nutshell, most students belief the Big 6 is EASY.

There are many problem solving processes available to us, but Needham points out some clear advantages of using the Big 6 in Ch. 20.

• Other processes assume students already know the best sources of information and where to find them, while the Big 6 helps students identify both instead of leaving this important piece to chance.  Most of our students make the automatic jump to online research, which is not all bad if we teach them how to evaluate resources to identify the "best" resources for the task and not just Google.  
• The vocabulary used in the Big 6 can be applied to many type of problems.  Students sometimes don't realize that they have problems to solve outside of school.  The "How Much is That Doggy In The Window" presentation we referenced earlier in our book study is a great way to show students how application of the Big 6 is useful outside of school.
• Finally, use of the Big 6 process supports many other research-based strategies proven to support how students learn.

Needham closes this chapter with a "Teaching Big 6" chart.  Figure 20.1 should help you take a closer look at your program and provide you some guidance in implementing the Big 6 into your program, or examining strengths and weaknesses of your program in its current form.

There are no discussion questions this week, but please post your own parting thoughts as comments.  Remember, we will have our final face-to-face meeting Mon., Nov. 1, to share lessons developed over the past weeks and take a closer look at the things your have posted on the website.  The "blended" format of this book study is definitely a work in progress and needs your thoughts on ways to improve the process as a way to collaborate regularly.  Please check your syllabus to make sure you have completed all of the assigned tasks for the book study.  See you tomorrow! 

Week 7 - Big 6 in the Content Areas

In reading chapters 16-19, you probably had some of the same ah-ha moments I did about integrating the Big 6 into content areas.  Prior to reading this book and taking part in Needham's workshop I had not considered how the Big 6 tied to classroom management or math.  Science and social studies were more likely to tie in because of the research opportunities with both of those content areas.  The sample lesson forms in figures 17.1-17.3 made the use of the Big 6 in math make more sense to me.  The framework of the Big 6 helps make "solving the problem" in math a no-brainer.  Math truly provides students a first-hand opportunity to see how problem solving without Big 6 versus problem solving with Big 6.  Math is difficult for me, but using the Big 6 actually makes math make sense--kind of...  The bottom line is use of the Big 6 in content areas lead to a deeper understanding of not only problem solving, but content as well.  Assuming the problems are authentic, students essentially are killing two birds with one stone--learning content and how to solve problems.
  
You know I can't go without saying that as we develop our lessons we need to consider how to integrate technology into the picture.  Berger has given us some valuable Web 2.0 tools to use, all we have to do is challenge ourselves to learn more about them and allow students to extend their learning beyond the walls of their schools.

The final discussion question is:

1.   Now that the book study nears its end, identify some of the things we were unable to cover but which you would like to know more about.

REMINDER:  Post your search engine chart, if you have not already done so.    Also, check the "Lessons" page of the website as Corliss will be posting a sample Revolutionary War lesson.  Finally, put the finishing touches on your lesson to share with others.  Please have it posted by next Monday so that everyone can access it at our face-to-face meeting.

Week 6 Plugging in the Big6

Up to this point in class we have been exploring the six steps of the Big6.  We've learned that each step has required its own skill set and hopefully you have seen the importance of giving the students plenty of opportunities and time to learn them.  Remember incredible things can be built once a solid foundation is in place.  Now it is time for you to develop an open-ended problem where your students, with your support, can practice using the Big6 problem-solving model.  Chapter 13 has some great examples if you are still struggling.

Ideally, the students will quickly identify exactly what their task is and be able to come up with ideas for resources and how to access them.  Steps 1-3 should really be done before they ever get on a computer.  Step 4 is still going to be a struggle for many of them.  Chapter 14 goes into how to help students stay focused when searching for information.  Success in this area really comes once students understand good note taking strategies. I will send out a Trash & Treasure Template  that was created by a SPED teacher in our district.  We found that her students could really identify the "nuggets of treasure" when given this template. Organization is VERY IMPORTANT at this step as well.  (A two-pocket, three-pronged folder works well!)  Synthesis and Evalution can be completed much more efficiently if your students really "get" how to use information.

Your students may get a little frustrated with the Big6 in the beginning because you are slowing them down and walking them through each step pretty slowly and they just want to jump in and start getting information.  I can honestly say that once they understand the process of the Big6 they will see how the problem-sovling method works for so many tasks. It is not always a long drawn out process, sometimes it is a quick check-list.  Chapter 15 shows us how to help students apply the Big6 in other areas.  This is a chapter I think a lot of core content teachers would appreciate.

Discussion Topics:

1)  Needham provides sample lessons in Chapter 13.  Select one and discuss some of the strengths and weaknesses of that lesson.

2)  After reviewing the Trash and Treasure template I sent to each of you, share your ideas for a note-taking device that would be helpful for your students.
     

Week 5 - Choosing a Form of Synthesis & Evaluation

Students must be able to synthesis any problem in order to solve it, but we all know that this is often the most difficult step for students.  Now that they have all the information, what do they do with it?  Needham has some great strategies to improve synthesis and provide them with strategies likely to strengthen the overall outcome of the process.  Students often rely on graphic organizers, which can even add an element of excitement by incorporating a little Web 2.0.  The Table 4.1 (p. 84) in Berger's book outlines the features of four different organizers available online.  More and more of these free downloads and interactive sites are popping up every day.  In the course of this book study you have also discovered many ways by which students can share their information.  Needham offers possible forms of synthesis which are more traditional (p. 128), while Berger offers suggestions for us to integrate technology (Ch. 6), all of which can help students better synthesis the information.   

1. Explore two of the graphic organizer sites from Table 4.1 of Berger's book (or others you find online) and offer your feedback as to their usefulness with your students.

Traditional evaluation usually takes the form of a scoring guide provided by the teacher, but Needham makes a very valid point (Ch. 11) regarding students' need for self-evaluation.  Self-evaluation helps our students practice those essential critical thinking skills.  "Change and growth are the result of evalution."  The Big 6 encourages students to evaluate not just the product, but the process as well.  Students who can identify their strengths and weaknesses in these areas are improving their problem-solving skills and thereby student achievement. 

2. Consider the pros and cons of teacher-created scoring guides and student self-evaluation.  Share your thoughts on the importance of students becoming effective evaluators. 

After responding to the discussion questions, begin thinking about what the synthesis and evaluation pieces will look like in the Big 6 lesson you are developing.  Challenge yourself to incorporate technology tools such as blogs, wikis, or other Web 2.0 tools in these steps.

Week 4 Social Bookmarking and Media Sharing

Our face-to-face meeting Monday was refreshing and we really liked the teamwork we witnessed when looking at the social bookmark site and glogster.  The exchange of lesson ideas and favorite sites was a good collaborative experience.  We hope you have spent some additional time exploring these resources and have more ideas to share in this week's discussion board.  If you get a chance check out Vicki's " Library Insider" Blog.  She is really doing a great job of guiding her staff into Web 2.0 resources.

For this week's discussion:

1) Part of this week assignment is to post 5 of your favorite websites on your delicious site. (Don't forget to include a brief description.)  Four weeks into this class, how has your perception of Web 2.0 changed?  Are you getting more comfortable out in cyberspace?  What ideas came to mind after the Glogster and Delicious demonstrations?  Will you continue to use them personally?  Will you share them with students?    


2)  Berger states "when students create their own media, they are active participants in their own learning, their interest and motivation increases because they are in control of their learning."  Monday, Vicki shared  how excited her students are when they get to blog.  As you continue developing your Big6 project how do you plan to bring the use of technology into your lessons?  How can you assure that your students will take control of their learning?

Week 3 Establishing The Frameworks of Problem-Solving

   Aren't you loving these books?  The examples, strategies and lesson plan ideas are so detailed and user-friendly!  Hopefully you see that you are already using many of these strategies with your students.  This week we want you to begin thinking about the resources you have available in your collections and how you can guide student use of these resources.  That all begins with creating tasks that encourage your students to explore topics that are relevent at a deeper level.       

Ch. 7-9 (Needham)       Big6 Steps 1-3        

            

1.       The students ability to reiterate what they are supposed do to and identify resources that will help them get the task done is essential to their success.   What are some strategies you use to help students identify their task and the resources they need to help them?

Ch. 2-3 (Berger)  Searching the Web

In the Standards for the 21^st Century Learner, we are to encourage students to incorporate higher order thinking skills.  Not only do they need to know how to develop a range of questions that will allow them to search for new understanding but they must be able to select and evaluate the sources in order to answer those questions and eventually master the use of those technological tools.  That is a high order.  Part of acquiring that expertise is the proper use of search engines.

      On page 29(Berger) you will find a list of 5 facts students need to know about search engines.

     2.  How do we, as teacher-librarians, instruct our students to able to make distinctions between search engines and find the ones that best fit their needs?

   Give some ideas as to how you might help your students learn to perform a thorough web search.

Please add you post by clicking on the comments link.

Ways to Collaborate with Teachers in Process

Teachers and librarians need only collaborate to create a program that will allow students to become life-long problem solvers. While the student will want to focus on the appeal and use of Web 2.0 or any technology, the teachers and librarian should always strive to keep the focus on the process and content, reminding the learner that technology is the tool in the process.

Needham stresses practice, practice and more practice. then evaluation of the process and review followed by more practice. This need not entail huge complicated research projects but rather small quick exercises that can be done within our short teaching time frame. Developing the task and perhaps a sole question, listing resources and going through the steps to develop an answer. With the teacher focusing on the content and the librarian focusing on the process, the students should have many opportunities to hone their skills. You may not get many teachers willing to collaborate and cooperatively teach with you. In fact, you may have to do this on your own. See if you can get one teacher on board. Soon, the rest will follow. Start small.

The Importance of Developing Problem Solving Skills

Students will automatically be attracted to the attributes and convenience that We 2.0 offers but they will not automatically see the advantages to becoming mater problem solvers. We will have to see this to them, market it so that it make sense to our students. Here, at the elementary level, it is more difficult because our children cannot even imaging what it is like to be grown up. They cannot see how it will help them in the future because they cannot imagine life that far ahead. The bad news is that we have to be very creative and persistent and even incorporate more fun into the learning process. The good new is that the window for teaching them and giving them a good foundation in problem solving skills is long!

First, we need to teach students what a "problem" is and help them identify them. There are some great ideas on pages 6 and 7 of Needham.

Next, as Berger suggests, we can foster good problem solving skills by giving them authentic problems. This will is llustrate the legitimacy of the process. we need to motivate them to learn, work smarter and see that the skill of problem solving is vital to life long learning and therefore, success. One way to do this is to incorporate and integrate the technology that they are familiar with and like to use. How to do this? We can use technology as a vehicle to share such as wikis and blog; to practice such as online games; for relevancy such as videos and You Tube. If we use the tools that make sense to them, we will make the problem solving process more appealing and relevant to thier life styles.

WEEK 2: “It’s All About Process-About Teaching Process”

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A strong foundation is important to any structure.  It is where all good things begin.  It may seem like it takes a painstakingly long time to get it just right but it is well worth the effort.  It is certainly not the time to take shortcuts.  A strong foundation is one from which all things beautiful can grow.

As Needham’s Chapter 4 heading states “teaching process” is where we as educators can help our students the most.  If we want them to develop good problem solving skills we need to show them how to become more metacognitive (knowledge of your own thoughts and the factors that influence your thinking).  This week’s readings are essential to understanding the research behind the Big6 and how we can incorporate the strategies of the Big6 into our own teaching styles. 

Discussion Points to be shared on the blog: 

(1)  Needham suggests that “posing problems and integrating process within content” are two powerful Bi6 strategies” for helping students make connections.  What are some other strategies you noticed that will encourage students to start thinking about how they think?  Which strategies lend themselves to scaffolding instruction and/or learning?   

 (2) As our focus shifts to creating authentic problems for successful problem-solving we need to be mindful of a couple of things.  I mentioned on the blog last week the importance of engaging students through real life situations. Students will only engage when they feel the lesson is relevant to them.  How do we create that level of engagement when our students come to us with so many different life experiences?  Needham shares some examples of how learning goals can be presented as problems designed to engage students (p50).  What are some other learning goals that could be used to create an authentic problem for the students to solve?   

Week One Discussions Questions

1. We can ensure that students understand the importance of problem solving skills by first introducing it as ways to deal with every day problems. Students should be told they can use these skills to solve problems at home, with friends, etc. as well as using problem solving skills in a classroom. Also, any time a teaching moment occurs in our classroom that may not be a part of the "plan" that demonstrates these skills, we should grab them. The other day one of my students inspired a ten minute discussion about his newly checked out nonfiction book. Why are these pictures in here, are they real, which led to how do we find out, etc. It was great.!!

2. Collaboration can be difficult face to face, but I am finding that connecting to grade level curriculum and even the scoring guides in lessons taught in the library, opens discussions with the teachers when they are with their students in the library. This connection is opening the way for future discussion concerning students and introducing the teaching, of perhaps, together problem solving skills that connect to grade level reporting topics.

Getting Started with Information Literacy

Welcome to the 21st century filled with books in electronic formats, children who are digital natives, and fast changing technology.  This book study is very ambitious, as it tackles two books that go hand-in-hand.  The Big6 provides us a process through which we can teach our students and teachers how to become problem-solvers in a world laden with problems to solve.  Fortunately, Web 2.0 has great technology tools that can easily be integrated into the Big6 process. 

As information specialists we have to reflect on our current practices and be willing to transform ourselves to meet the challenges set before us.  How do we meld the Big6 and Web 2.0 together?  Consider the resemblance of the Big 6 to the Stripling Inquiry Model (Berger, p. 12-13).  The bottom line is, both models contain skills essential to 21st century learners.  Eisenberg, Johnson and Berkowitz address the need for technology integration into the Big6 in the ICT Big6 Curriculum attachment on the website (Big6 Toolbox). 

So how do we move forward?  Lets start by blogging about these two questions: 
(1) How do we ensure that students understand the importance of developing problem-solving skills?  
(2) Discuss ways to collaborate with teaches that will help students solve problems while learning content.  

Welcome to our Blog!

The address is phmediaspecialists@blogger.com This is where you will be posting comments and ideas as we journey through our bookstudy. Please post a comment here so we know that you have arrived at this destination hassle-free.

Diana
Vicki
Corliss