GEN: Yes, we are appreciated!

[Alice Yucht <AliceInfo@AOL.COM>]

I thought you-all would appreciate this praise for what we do
(reposted with the author's permission):

In a message on the ITI listserv, Beverly Maddox wrote:

<<Today I took two classes to the library to find data for a poster
report--yesterday
the media specialist visited the classes to discuss how they might go
about finding data on the transmission, treatment, prevention,
symptoms, likely victims, infection rate, and research status on the
virus they selected for their poster reports.  What  I noticed was
the typical behavior of kids way back when when I was in junior high
in the late 50's.  The kids tried to copy word for word from the
encyclopedia and other sources. Kids wil always do this unless
trained how to identify pertinent data to answer the questions they
bring to their library research.  And, of course, they will always do
this out of desperation when they haven't been taught how to plan a
search.

I asked one if she were copying word for word (she had about a half
page and was writing one word at a time, looking at the book, copying
another word, looking at the book, and so on).  She gravely nodded
her head.  "I always do that for a report," she replied.

"Tiffany, " I pontificated, "if you went to a copy machine and copied
this page and handed it to me and said, 'There's my report," would I
accept it?  "No," she said.  "Then what's the difference between doing that
and copying this page word for word?"  She looked at me as if I were a bit
dense.
"Well, I wrote it," she explained.

We continued the conversation, but the act of copying by hand does
bestow an ownership of sorts to what is penned.  Kids in higher tech
schools have moved on to printing out sections from CD-ROM
encyclopedias, whiting out the headings and typing in their names and
on to printing directly from WEB pages and turning in their
printouts.

Every media specialist I've talked with in the past 3 years,
including the one at my current school, is a wonderful resource for
changing the attitudes of kids who have never been properly prepared
for library research.  Every researcher must be purposeful.  Simply
to turn in 3 pages is not purposeful.  Begin with small projects --
recognize when a kid has a question that s/he can seek to
answer through library research. Send them to the media specialist or
to a sypathetic public library reference librarian.  Learn how to
conduct research properly yourself--chances are you may be from the
old school, too.

And, to return to my original theme, involve your media specialist
(aka information specialist) in the planning of any projects
involving library research. S/he can visit your classroom and talk to
the kids about how to refine their topics, plan their research,
identify key words to use as guide words, develop a rough overall
concept for their project (from  1 paragraph-1source quickies to the
fanny-numbing 15 page research paper with footnotes and
bibliography), and use the library collection for their research.
Public librarians will visit, sometimes, too--or provide
presentations at the public library.

Above all, learn what purposes library research can serve and provide
thoughtful and thought-provoking projects that require reflection on
the part of the students as well as the capabilities to evaluate the
quality of the information found, no matter what the source.  And,
fellow teachers, we have to be able to do the nitty gritty ourselves.
 Try completing that research project yourself, using the available
resources int he media center, before you assign it.  When you become
frustrated, ask the media specialist to help.

If you find your media specialist is overworked due to inappropriate
demands by the administration or is one of the rare duds in the
profession, find out about LM_NET, the very valuable discussion group
for school librarians.

Be clear and be informed--and be hands-on in the media center with
your kids.  It's the most fun you might have in a while. I love it
when a kid comes up and says, excitedly, "Ms. Maddox--look at this.
I didn't know about this, did you?"

WOW!  I was a bit carried away--but teaming with the media specialist
is a necessity in these times.

Beverly Maddox
a teamed teacher teeming with ideas (Did I really say that?)
Little Rock>>

note: Beverly's response when I asked if I could post this on LM_NET:
<<Alice, I'd be honored to be quoted on LM_Net!   I know first hand
what valuable colleagues school librarians are; every teacher needs
to understand the various roles you all play, and how you can enhance
what we do in and out of the classroom.  >>

Alice H. Yucht