Assignments that Work Super Conference 2008 Extension of Assignments Worth the Effort :Questions are Key , Teacher Libr

1. Assignments that WorkSuper Conference 2008Extension of Assignments Worth the Effort:Questions are Key, Teacher Librarian February 2007 Carol Koechlin & Sandi Zwaan

2. Focus Questions • Why do many students make a less than stellar effort on research tasks andassignments? • As we move from the Information Age to the Knowledge Age how can we take advantage of real world technologies and processes to enrich the research experience for students? Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

3. Youth perspective • Why must I find answers to already answered questions when I have questions that have not yet been answered? Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

4. Students are immersed in 21st century "new literacy" technologies, but are schools preparing them for the future? BY ZACH MINERS AND ANGELA PASCOPELLA October 2007 "The Digital Disconnect: The Widening Gap between Internet-Savvy Students and Their Schools," students are spending 27 hours a week online at home, compared to an average of 15 minutes per week at school. "One of our goals is for students to read better online." The New Literacieshttp://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1292&pf=1 Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

5. Reading on the Internet No other tool will help the Internet reader as much as the right question, asked at the right time and in the right way. Intelligent readers of the Internet begin by asking questions even before they log on, and they continue to ask questions during their search. By asking questions repeatedly and deliberately, students become thoughtful readers, developing "habits of mind" that they can then generalize to other situations or tasks • (Costa & Kallick, 2000). • http://www.i-learnt.com/Thinking_Habits_Mind.html Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

6. Build character development Curiosity and wonder Responsibility Motivation and effort Meet the learning needs of today’s students Critical thinking Innovation and Problem solving Teamwork skills Global awareness Well designed assignments: Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

7. Select a Think Model Plan needed library interventions Differentiate Instruction Design collaborative working times/spaces SPARK the inquiry Get assignments and support to students 24/7/365 Make them think, question and reflect Guide and assess throughout the tasks Review academic honesty Provide access to the best resources and technologies Ensure authentic audiences for sharing Design a BIG THINK So What? What Next? Assess gather evidence of successand set new goals Designing Assignments that Work Establish a ‘culture of inquiry’ with teachers and students. Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

8. Model personal connections Create a safe atmosphere Encourage students to speak freely Accept varied viewpoints Listen to ideas Consider students’ ideas carefully Establishing a Community of LearnersGuided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century by C.Kahlthau, L. Maniotes & A. Caspari Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

9. Create a desire to know Motivate and challenge with the unknown or the perplexing • artifacts both real and virtual • historical photos, cartoons, posters • quotations • film clips • discrepant events Puzzle them First: Motivating Adolescent Readers with Question-Finding By A. V. Ciardiello Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

10. Inquiry questions De Bono’s Six Hats Blooms Taxonomy Problem Based Learning Invention and innovation Creation – the arts Research journals Graphic organizers Peer conferencing Self assessment Goal setting Make then think, question, and reflect….. Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

11. Organization Time management Quotations Paraphrasing Referencing Copyright Note-making Analysis techniques Build academic honesty into assessment tools Review Academic Honesty Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

12. Models for successful learning Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

13. The Think Models: • apply critical and creative thinking. • build cross-curricular literacy skills and new literacies. • are engaging and effective. • empower students to build deeper understanding. • are knowledge building learning experiences. • are a framework for designing successful assignments. • effectively utilize information and technology-rich learning environments. • provide opportunity for differentiated instruction. Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

14. Education is about learning!Integrating Differentiated Instruction +Understanding by DesignCarol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe • Classroom teachers can work to the benefit of many more students by implementing patterns of instruction likely to serve multiple needs. • Provide many paths Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

15. content (what students learn and the materials that represent that) process (activities through which students make sense of key ideas using the essential skills) product (how students demonstrate and extend what they understand and can do as a result of a span of learning) learning environment (the classroom conditions that set the tone and expectations of learning) Tomlinson and McTighe Differentiated Instruction in the Library Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

16. Link assignments from your School Library Homepage Set up a blog - calendar, RRS feed Create a wiki -collaborative work space Use Google Docs and Spreadsheets (FREE) Advantages Often free Projects stored on a remote server Usually more reliable than local networks Available from any computer 24/7/365 Meet with students in their world In Command! by R. Williams and D. Loertscher Getting Assignments to Students 24/7/365 Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

17. Pathfinders Guided Tours Scavenger Hunts Virtual Tours Interactive Video Conferencing On-Line Projects Blogs Wikis Web Quests Inspire students with E-Projects Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

18. Introduction Task Process Information Sources Evaluation Conclusion Consider designing your WebQuest using a THINK model at the Processing Stage Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

19. Bully Grades 4-8 Problems Possibilities JigSaw Model How can students take a stand on bullying? Messing with Mother Nature Grade 9-12 Take a Position Model What’s the harm in genetic modification of plants? Sample High Think Web Quests Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

20. Design collaborative workspaces for students based on the THINK models. What about a wiki? Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

21. Elevates projects The product isn’t the end, it is the beginning! Transform learning into something new Collaborative knowledge building Bottom line –Build on student understanding to keep the thinking flowing! Conduct active discussion Present a problem Challenge with a new question Invite students to create new questions Write about larger ideas, concepts and process of learning Collaboratively build charts, diagrams, maps etc. Interact with an expert Take action Take part in the real world The Big Think  Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

22. So What Works? • Establish learning communities (teacher and student) • Motivate students and get assignments to them 24/7/365 • Fuse inquiry and content learning • Differentiate instruction • Prepare students for learning for life • Utilize a variety of rich resources and technologies • Honour collaborative knowledge building • Connect students to the world • Make them think, question and reflect • Value process and product and academic honesty • Share responsibility for learning Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

23. Keys to Success Design assignments that move from TRANSPORTATION of data to TRANSFORMATION of information. Focus on KNOWLEDGE CONSTRUCTION rather than product construction. Don’t abandon students during the process. Based on Ross Todd workshops and writings. Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008

24. Bottom Line Design Assignments that Work to demonstrate that : Collaboration in the Library is the Best Teaching and Learning in the School! Koechlin and Zwaan Super Conference 2008