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Looking at Assignments. Effective Lessons Effective Application Integrating Information Literacy into the Curriculum. What Do You See Happening?. Are students involved in learning through social interaction with others?
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Looking at Assignments Effective Lessons Effective Application Integrating Information Literacy into the Curriculum
What Do You See Happening? Are students involved in learning through social interaction with others? Are students actively engaged and reflecting on their experience? Are children learning by building on what they already know? Are students developing higher-order thinking skills? Are students confronted with authentic questions drawn from their own experience? Are students involved in learning through a variety of experiences?
Does This Ring a Bell? Common practice for assignments • Background to material provided by teacher • Textbook work is done • A project in the media center is assigned with worksheet asking FACT questions • “Bird” is selected to research • Students are introduced to a few resources OR students hit the WWW • Students copy information from sources onto their papers • Papers turned in for grade
Why is this “bird” unit a disaster? • What are we really doing? • What are we really expecting from students? • What is the teacher expecting? • What are the students doing?
They learned to cut and paste.They learned that finding information means nothing much to them.They learned to provide a nice neat colorful paper to impress the teacher. They might even use clip art to dress it up and further impress the teacherWhy – they even learned to ……NO!……YES Plagiarize
1. What is the problem? Need to integrate the information technology/information literacy into district curriculum/instructional program
Let’s Look at Creating or Tweaking RIGOROUS Lessons
Standards = Curriculum =Instruction = Student Information Literacy and Technology Integration Continuum
Definition/Introduction • Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information - to become independent life-long learners"
Definition/Introduction Technology Education focuses on incremental skills in using and applying technology tools for relevant, meaningful, instructional activities Information Literacy’s focus is on content, communication, information searching, analysis and evaluation
Purpose of Integration • How do you “teach” research? • Why integrate? What does that involve? • Have a research protocol. Need common, consistent model • What does it look like? Modeled and taught – not assigned • What steps are included? • Good research activities just don’t happen – time planning, access • Developmentally and progressing through complexity • Questioning piece is the most important part – makes or breaks • Key person – the principal • How will it impact on student learning?
What’s the Goal? Increase Student Academic Achievement
Can the Teacher and Media Specialist Build a Better “BIRD” Unit? Antique Classic “Bird” Unit
What Needs to Happen? • Re-design the activity so learners must THINK ABOUT the information they collect • Re-design so that learners MUST DO SOMETHING with the information they collect such as sense-making, performing, trying out, acting, building, etc. • Address standards, content, information literacy, use of technology • THINK…..What do you really want students to learn???
What Needs to Happen? • Content - Area of study • Standards - Which standards can I pull into this assignment? • Curriculum - How will this be taught to meet standards? • Information literacy - What skills do students need from Grade Level Curriculum Overlay? • Use of technology - What resource(s) would best support this assignment’s objectives? • Assessment - How will the teacher and student know what and how much they have accomplished?
Which Questions Matter? • Typical of those QUESTIONSfound in tough new state tests. Select a great essential question or concepts and then make it the focus of a Research Module
Why? • Why do different birds have different types of nests?
How? How can we change things for the better?
Which is Best? Given the choices before us, which is most likely to do the most good? Which plan is best? Which solution will work best?
Essential Questions, Concept Questions Give Us a “BIRD” Banquet
It’s about Process • What needs to be done? • What can I use to find what I need? • Where can I find what I need? • What information can I use? • How can I put my information together? • How will I know if I did my job well?
Making it Easier and More Effective • Collaborate and divide the work • Use the Information Literacy/Technology Grade Level Curriculum Overlay • Use the Big6to facilitate students through problem solving • Integrate a variety of resources including productivity software, selected web sites, and print materials
Guidelines • Media Specialists and teachers collaborate and form partnerships to plan instruction and implement research activities • Begin early with small projects • Provide information skill instruction at time of need
Guidelines • Have a planned attack and a plan • Make appropriate resources and activities a known factor • Focus on the learning standards and objectives • Media specialists and teachers evaluate projects together • Refine as needed
Program Goals What do we want students to be able to do?
Power Learners • Help students learn how to learn - not just pass standardized tests • Teaching more than just locating facts - helping students learn how to evaluate and use information for meaning • Make assignments that require students to locate, evaluate analyze and synthesize
Ask good questions Why does your animal live in that region? What if scientists wanted to remove one system from the human body. Which one should it be and why? What disease deserves the most research dollars and why? What would it take to move a country from third world to first world?
Researchthat Counts • Slow things down for kids - Scaffold • First day of research Use only print. Ask students to do something with information they find. What new questions do they have? • Consider what is substance and glitz • Take time and make many experts
Effective Problem Solving Assignments Clear purpose and expectations (rubrics)
Assessment • Prepare rubrics • Self assessment by student • Checklists along the way • Look for quality • Conference with students • Customize to different types of learners • Kids assessment of resource • Reflection on process • Showcase final products
Be Aware! • Dynamic society - inconsistent delivery of instruction • Must be a system-wide emphasis • Little “library skills” just don’t cut it - not with sophistication of materials and skill need • Teacher assigns and kids look for easy way out
Be Aware 2 • Avoid activities that don’t promote deep processing • Avoid too much structure, too little guidance, too few strategies • Distinction between project-centered approach and inquiry-based approach lies in underlying motivation and objective
Remember? "Knowing content" is not sufficient in itself -- Students must apply knowledge to: • construct new understandings • solve problems • make decisions • develop products • communicate
Successful Programs • Constructivist view of learning • Scaffold learning • Set benchmarks • Team teaching/collaboration • Library media center is essential component. Research says!
The three most important school-to-life critical skills Research Problem Solving Communication
The mission of the school library media program is to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information BY • Providing intellectual and physical access to materials in all formats • Providing instruction to foster competence and stimulate interest in reading, viewing, and using information and ideas. • Working with other educators to design and implement learning strategies to meet the needs of individual students
Thanks to David Loertscher for Coining the “Bird Unit” Now go out and build rigorous bird units!