LM_NET: Library Media Networking
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I do not know of a "text", but it sounds like what I do and I &qu=
ot;make it up"<BR>
as I<BR>
go depending on the needs of the students and what the teachers want when I=
<BR>
conference with them. 8th grade has less "teaching time" th=
an 6 and 7th in<BR>
my<BR>
building because we have already covered many topics with lessons. If=
<BR>
someone<BR>
comes up with a good "text" ideas, please pass on. I always=
found teacher<BR>
made<BR>
materials fit my needs better.<BR>
<BR>
I don't have a curriculum or<BR>
book to suggest, but I thought I'd share an idea. My first year on the job<=
BR>
I taught at a middle school. One teacher liked to just dump her low-skills<=
BR>
7th and 8th graders in the library. They were totally uninterested in<BR>
reading, so I ended up making a special project for them. Basically they<BR=
>
each picked a topic of their own choosing, and they made a pathfinder<BR>
directing others to all the library's resources on the topic. So one week<B=
R>
we looked up books, another week magazines, another few weeks we found web<=
BR>
sites, etc. It ended up taking quite a while and in the end they learned<BR=
>
how to produce a brochure in Claris Works. (And they learned how to cite<BR=
>
their sources.) Picking their own topic was the key--I had one boy who<BR>
wouldn't do anything except rap singers, so even he was happy. And all<BR>
they had to do was find sources and evaluate them--they didn't have to do<B=
R>
any kind of report on the topic.<BR>
<BR>
I was in the same boat except they combined 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in a<=
BR>
single 80 minute class. No objectives, books, lesson plans, etc. &nbs=
p;Peers<BR>
helped me find older media paperback workbooks - but it has taken way too<B=
R>
much time preparing. My admin.in charge informed me the first day of =
school<BR>
what they had decided to offer late the evenining before school started.<BR=
>
The workbooks our Library Assoc. offers could be helpful in your future.<BR=
>
<BR>
It sounds like you're providing planning time for the 8th grade<BR>
teachers. Do they ever sit down with you to discuss their classroom<B=
R>
projects and lessons? I'm now in a high school, but back my junior hi=
gh<BR>
days I spent a lot of time with classroom teachers insuring that what I<BR>
taught was needed that week for a lesson. ProQuest for a science<BR>
article, presearching for a social studies paper, reference for english,<BR=
>
music, and even p.e. I was lucky to co-teach many things with the<BR>
classroom teachers; they providing the content, and me the "technical&=
quot;<BR>
how-to (even if it's how to hand-write a bibliography).<BR>
<BR>
Nothing's more boring that learning "stuff" you don't need at the=
<BR>
moment. And, you're likely to have a more captive audience when they<=
BR>
need to know your information to complete a (graded) assignment.<BR>
As librarians we don't give grades, thus our students have no reason to<BR>
pay attention to us. See how much you can tie to the 8th grade<BR>
curriculum and classroom lessons. (I also did not have a curriculum,<=
BR>
but made it up as I went. I guess I was lucky to be in such a small<B=
R>
school [190 students] that I knew each student and teacher quite well.)<BR>
<BR>
Bev, welcome to the cutting edge. It's all so new that almost<BR>
everyone is making it up as they go along. Consider how a curriculum<=
BR>
could be put together when no one has the same resources.<BR>
<BR>
I hope you've gone to the websites for your databases or contacted<BR>
someone to see if they have teaching guides.<BR>
<BR>
The days of everyone having the Readers' Guide and World Book are<BR>
over. But, you still have the equivalent of those two references in<B=
R>
the databases that you use. Readers' Guide is on First Search, just<B=
R>
constructed a bit differently. <grin>.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
What about relating the skills to the curriculum? If they are studying<BR>
pioneers,<BR>
make your skills or research around that topic. You could also incorp=
orate<BR>
things they are interested in - rock music, sports, movies, etc.<BR>
<BR>
It certainly sounds like you have your work cut out for you. I know y=
ou<BR>
have to work with the situation in which you're given & when I was<BR>
inflexible<BR>
scheduled, I thought along similar lines. However, just know that the=
goal<BR>
is for flexible scheduling in which teachers are right in there<BR>
collaborating<BR>
with you. Then, you are teaching a curricular subject and the informa=
tion<BR>
literacy skills are taught "just-in-time" as they pertain to the =
subject.<BR>
Also, here in Chicago, I am on a system-wide commit=
tee which is working<BR>
to align library activities with our structured curriculum--which is a<BR>
day-by-day way to teach the curriculum for new or inexperienced teachers.<B=
R>
Your information literacy skills are probably already tucked into the<BR>
general<BR>
curriculum.<BR>
<BR>
--
Beverly A. Nelson
Media Generalist
Spring Grove Public School
Spring Grove, MN 55974
507-498-3221
bev.nelson@springgrove.k12.mn.us
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<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>HIT: 8th grade media skills part 3</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY BGCOLOR=3D"#FFFFFF">
<TT>I do not know of a &quot;text&quot;, but it sounds like what I =
do and I &qu=3D<BR>
ot;make it up&quot;<BR><BR>
as I<BR><BR>
go depending on the needs of the students and what the teachers want when I=
=3D<BR>
<BR><BR>
conference with them. &nbsp;8th grade has less &quot;teaching time&=
amp;quot; th=3D<BR>
an 6 and 7th in<BR><BR>
my<BR><BR>
building because we have already covered many topics with lessons. &nbs=
p;If=3D<BR>
<BR><BR>
someone<BR><BR>
comes up with a good &quot;text&quot; ideas, please pass on. &n=
bsp;I always=3D<BR>
found teacher<BR><BR>
made<BR><BR>
materials fit my needs better.<BR><BR>
<BR><BR>
I don't have a curriculum or<BR><BR>
book to suggest, but I thought I'd share an idea. My first year on the job&=
lt;=3D<BR>
BR><BR>
I taught at a middle school. One teacher liked to just dump her low-skills&=
lt;=3D<BR>
BR><BR>
7th and 8th graders in the library. They were totally uninterested in<BR=
><BR>
reading, so I ended up making a special project for them. Basically they<=
;BR=3D<BR>
><BR>
each picked a topic of their own choosing, and they made a pathfinder<BR=
><BR>
directing others to all the library's resources on the topic. So one week&l=
t;B=3D<BR>
R><BR>
we looked up books, another week magazines, another few weeks we found web&=
lt;=3D<BR>
BR><BR>
sites, etc. It ended up taking quite a while and in the end they learned<=
;BR=3D<BR>
><BR>
how to produce a brochure in Claris Works. (And they learned how to cite<=
;BR=3D<BR>
><BR>
their sources.) Picking their own topic was the key--I had one boy who<B=
R><BR>
wouldn't do anything except rap singers, so even he was happy. And all<B=
R><BR>
they had to do was find sources and evaluate them--they didn't have to do&l=
t;B=3D<BR>
R><BR>
any kind of report on the topic.<BR><BR>
<BR><BR>
I was in the same boat except they combined 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in a&=
lt;=3D<BR>
BR><BR>
single 80 minute class. &nbsp;No objectives, books, lesson plans, etc. =
&nbs=3D<BR>
p;Peers<BR><BR>
helped me find older media paperback workbooks - but it has taken way too&l=
t;B=3D<BR>
R><BR>
much time preparing. &nbsp;My admin.in charge informed me the first day=
of =3D<BR>
school<BR><BR>
what they had decided to offer late the evenining before school started.<=
;BR=3D<BR>
><BR>
The workbooks our Library Assoc. offers could be helpful in your future.<=
;BR=3D<BR>
><BR>
<BR><BR>
It sounds like you're providing planning time for the 8th grade<BR><B=
R>
teachers. &nbsp;Do they ever sit down with you to discuss their classro=
om<B=3D<BR>
R><BR>
projects and lessons? &nbsp;I'm now in a high school, but back my junio=
r hi=3D<BR>
gh<BR><BR>
days I spent a lot of time with classroom teachers insuring that what I<=
BR><BR>
taught was needed that week for a lesson. &nbsp;ProQuest for a science&=
lt;BR><BR>
article, presearching for a social studies paper, reference for english,<=
;BR=3D<BR>
><BR>
music, and even p.e. &nbsp;I was lucky to co-teach many things with the=
<BR><BR>
classroom teachers; they providing the content, and me the &quot;techni=
cal&=3D<BR>
quot;<BR><BR>
how-to (even if it's how to hand-write a bibliography).<BR><BR>
<BR><BR>
Nothing's more boring that learning &quot;stuff&quot; you don't nee=
d at the=3D<BR>
<BR><BR>
moment. &nbsp;And, you're likely to have a more captive audience when t=
hey<=3D<BR>
BR><BR>
need to know your information to complete a (graded) assignment.<BR><=
BR>
As librarians we don't give grades, thus our students have no reason to<=
BR><BR>
pay attention to us. &nbsp;See how much you can tie to the 8th grade<=
;BR><BR>
curriculum and classroom lessons. &nbsp;(I also did not have a curricul=
um,<=3D<BR>
BR><BR>
but made it up as I went. &nbsp;I guess I was lucky to be in such a sma=
ll<B=3D<BR>
R><BR>
school [190 students] that I knew each student and teacher quite well.)<=
BR><BR>
<BR><BR>
Bev, welcome to the cutting edge. &nbsp;It's all so new that almost<=
BR><BR>
everyone is making it up as they go along. &nbsp;Consider how a curricu=
lum<=3D<BR>
BR><BR>
could be put together when no one has the same resources.<BR><BR>
<BR><BR>
I hope you've gone to the websites for your databases or contacted<BR>=
;<BR>
someone to see if they have teaching guides.<BR><BR>
<BR><BR>
The days of everyone having the Readers' Guide and World Book are<BR>=
<BR>
over. &nbsp;But, you still have the equivalent of those two references =
in<B=3D<BR>
R><BR>
the databases that you use. &nbsp;Readers' Guide is on First Search, ju=
st<B=3D<BR>
R><BR>
constructed a bit differently. &lt;grin&gt;.<BR><BR>
<BR><BR>
<BR><BR>
What about relating the skills to the curriculum? If they are studying<B=
R><BR>
pioneers,<BR><BR>
make your skills or research around that topic. &nbsp;You could also in=
corp=3D<BR>
orate<BR><BR>
things they are interested in - rock music, sports, movies, etc.<BR><=
BR>
<BR><BR>
It certainly sounds like you have your work cut out for you. &nbsp;I kn=
ow y=3D<BR>
ou<BR><BR>
have to work with the situation in which you're given &amp; when I was&=
lt;BR><BR>
inflexible<BR><BR>
scheduled, I thought along similar lines. &nbsp;However, just know that=
the=3D<BR>
goal<BR><BR>
is for flexible scheduling in which teachers are right in there<BR><B=
R>
collaborating<BR><BR>
with you. &nbsp;Then, you are teaching a curricular subject and the inf=
orma=3D<BR>
tion<BR><BR>
literacy skills are taught &quot;just-in-time&quot; as they pertain=
to the =3D<BR>
subject.<BR><BR>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Also, here in Chicago, I am on a sy=
stem-wide commit=3D<BR>
tee which is working<BR><BR>
to align library activities with our structured curriculum--which is a<B=
R><BR>
day-by-day way to teach the curriculum for new or inexperienced teachers.&l=
t;B=3D<BR>
R><BR>
Your information literacy skills are probably already tucked into the<BR=
><BR>
general<BR><BR>
curriculum.<BR><BR>
<BR><BR>
</TT>-- <BR>
Beverly A. Nelson<BR>
Media Generalist<BR>
Spring Grove Public School<BR>
Spring Grove, MN 55974<BR>
507-498-3221<BR>
bev.nelson@springgrove.k12.mn.us<BR>
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