LM_NET: Library Media Networking
An 8th grade social studies teacher, english teacher, reading teacher and I
collaborated a few years ago on an I-search project we developed on a study
of China. It was fabulous and very rewarding. Part of our goal was to
encourage the students to use all kinds of resources, from the reference
books I taught them about, to interviews with people they might know who
knew something about their topic. The teacher developed a list of possible
topics from which the students picked. They kept track of the process as
they went along, writing sections of their final report. One section
detailed their search for information:
Example: I first looked in the World Book encyclopedia to get an overview
of foods in China. Then I found a cookbook with much information in our
school library and I took notes from that. Then I went to the public
library with my friend and we found 3 books that we very helpful with
recipes. Finally, we visited a local Chinese restaurant and interviewed one
of the cooks.
The students turned in a written report and also had to give a visual
presentation of some sort to the class. In the example above, the student
videotaped the cook at the Chinese restaurant preparing a dish.
The most rewarding moment came when we read the last section of the student
report: What this I-search meant to me. They were overwhelmingly positive.
One that was particularly poignant was written by a girl who had a learning
disability. She usually took her homework home where her mother "helped"
her with it. With this project, most of the work was done in class. The
mother objected to that. But the girl wrote that this project had given her
the confidence to realize she could do this kind of thing on her own. She
was going to be more confident going on to high school having participated
in this.
One funny report was from the girl who wanted to research the Chinese stock
market. This was some years ago when there wasn't much information out
there. She detailed all the places she looked and found nothing, including
finding a number in our local newspaper about investing in China which she
called but they could tell her nothing. It was frustrating for her but it
showed how difficult research can be. (After trying her best on the stock
market, she gave up and went to Chicago to videotape the Chinese New Year
celebration. Some students really went all out.)
Yes - it helped the kids do their own work.
Yes - the kids and teachers liked it.
It was a big project (the way we did it) It was a lot of work.
It was well worth it and very rewarding.
We would still be doing this, but our school divided and my social studies
teacher went to the new school.
Jan
janicez@execpc.com
Jan Ziglin, Library Media Specialist
Pilgrim Park Middle School
Elm Grove, WI
Carolyn wrote -
>say?) This one is interested in doing a project using the I Search as a
>means to prevent plagiarism. I can use comments, advice, etc. from the
>group.
>
>Does it help kids to do their own work?
>Do teachers and students at your schools like using it?
>What are the pitfalls?
>What are the plusses?
>
>It might be wise to reply to the group, as this looks like it would make
>a good thread for discussion.
>--
>Carolyn Gierke, Librarian
>Sweet Home High School
>1901 Sweet home Road
>Amherst, New York 14228
>Phone: 716-689-5342
>FAX: 716-689-5391
>Email: cgierke@shs.k12.ny.us
>
>"Reading makes you smarter."
>
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