TARGET -> Curriculum examples for Electronic Info. HS magnet

[Los Angeles Public Library <laplcla@CLASS.ORG>]

The Los Angeles Public Library and the Los Angeles Unified School
District started an Electronic Information High School Magnet program in
September 1994.  It was developed in cooperation with UCLA's Graduate School
of Education and Information Studies.  It began with the premise that
librarians and teachers have a shared mission to teach where and how to find
information, and this program would provide an opportunity for them to work
collaboratively.

The objective of this magnet program has been presented as follows:

Students will develop lifelong research skills critical to their present
educational development and invaluable to their future career, profession
and lifestyle.  Given the explosion in the amount of information
available, discerning and informed citizens are necessary in today's
society.  In the EIM program, the instructional components of courses the
State of California requires for graduation will be expanded to
incorporate use of a variety of print resources and the most recent
technologies available to access information.  These include online
databases, electronic information resources, and multimedia products and
services.  Informational resource instruction for students in the EIM
will be provided by teachers, librarians, and graduate library interns.
Students will also have field-trip and internship opportunities in
information-intensive organizations located in downtown such as
professional firms (law, architecture, etc.) businesses, and government
agencies.

The program began with 85 ninth and tenth graders, a coordinator, and
three teachers who were hired shortly before school started.  We have been
developing the curriculum and the program as we go.  We have now set aside
Friday, February 24, 1995, for an all-day joint planning session involving
the teachers, library staff and UCLA representatives.

Having lurked a bit on LM_NET and joined the breakfast discussion at ALA,
I know you have a wide variety of experiences and resources at your
fingertips.  We have several ideas for projects the students can (and
have) done in the library using a spectrum of print and electronic media,
including Internet.  It will be helpful in this planning session if we
have additional specific examples of focussed projects which teach students
about the use of information resources while they are learning about the
subject matter.  Can you please send me some of these examples,
particularly those useful for ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade, prior to
February 23 so we can incorporate them in the discussion?  I will
learn how to post a hit and will also report on our progress.

Elizabeth Gay Teoman (213) 228-7475
Central Library Director
Los Angeles Public Library
630 W. Fifth Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071
laplcla@class.org