Re: Internet research

["Irwin - Maureen S." <msirwin@UMD5.UMD.EDU>]

I'm excited to see the beginning of a thread on research, and even more to
see some of us going back to notetaking.  I must relatea bemusing incident
of last month.  We had American Historian and biographer Natalie Bober in
school to talk about research to our 7's just as they were beginning a
manor report.  Her grandson is in that class, so it was a neat event.  She
talked about taking notes, (one idea per card) on index cards, which she
keeps in
shoeboxes!  The more she talked, the more kids turned around to look at me
and their history teacher (who is in her 20's).  And they though we just
made up that stuff to torture them!  Mrs. Bober couldn't have done a
better job if we had coached her on our "own system."
 Aside from the waste problem, I take serious issue with copying or
downloading tons of stuff
and then highlighting important parts.  Many kids think that is
notetaking.
I have found that highlighting someone else's work hinders you
from ever really being able to take your own notes on it, or
paraphrasing.  Visually, you see their words even better in your mind.  I
discourage it whever I can, and I'm happy to say, of the teachers who
really use the library, most agree.  We encourage active reading,
thinking about what is read, and taking brief, concise
notes.  Paragraphs come later.

Maureen S. Irwin
Director of the Library
Rye Country Day School
Rye, N.Y.

msirwin@umd5.umd.edu    **Any book you have not read is a new book ;-)**

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