Hit #1 Re: Vent from a librarian having a bad day.....
Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to my "vent" - the one
about the teacher who did not want me to work with her kids because
"they already know everything about how to use a library".
So many useful ideas have come my way. This group is truly amazing! I
am including the reponses in 4 separate hits.
I have made great headway with most of our teachers requiring students
to use a variety of sources - not just the internet. I grade some of
the works cited lists myself for certain projects according to my works
cited rubric. The rubric is available online at:
<http://www.gananda.org/library/mshslibrary/rubric.htm> And for more
information on holding students accountable for their sources, see my
article in this month's Library Media Connection.
Trouble is - this particular teacher won't allow me the time to talk to
her kids even though I just need 5 minutes to simply MENTION the 2 NEW
databases that they have NEVER seen before! Now that she is at least
scheduling library time (this is the first time she has EVER used the
library in 15 years) I hope she will see that students DO need some help
and suggestion now and then. Perhaps next time she will give me a few
minutes with them. If the situation remains the same next year - I plan
to put into effect many of the other suggestions I received - including
Alice Yucht's excellent sample memo included with the hit below.
In the meantime, I have created an eye-catching handout for the
students. I have emailed the handout to the teacher & I will hand out
copies to the kids as they arrive in the library. If anyone could use a
copy of it, just contact me off list and I will be happy to share it
with you.
Thank goodness this is not the norm for the teachers in our school.
Hopefully I can bring her along! Thanks again for all your wise and
wonderful words.
Here is the first group of responses:
You might offer a variation of the "new fangled iron horse vs. the
stage coach." See if you can locate a few students who would be willing
to work with you. To be fair, start when the class comes in. Time how
long it takes you to find the info they need in books and on your new
databases versus those wandering the internet. Make a big deal of this.
Maybe you can get the teacher to give feedback on the quality of the
info in the final product., and the qualifications of the source. You
could also sneak in some biblographic help for your group. I have done
this sort of thing several times with great success. I always win! Of
course, I sometimes stack the deck a bit in terms of subject, but all's
fair in love ane war ? and this is war. And, it's a battle we can only
win a few at a time. After the freshman or sophomore year, I usually
confine myself to : Number one tip to using any library ? Ask the
Librarian!" Just my thoughts.
-----------------------------
I had the same thing happen a couple weeks ago. I wanted to show
the US History class History Resource Center. They didn't want to
take
the time--they know everything just like you said. I too was
frustrated
and really don't know how to deal with it. I told them I was planning
to show them a database specifically for their subject area and not
one
they have seen before with their English classes but they didn't want
to
be bothered! If you get any great advice, please share it.
Is there any way you can show the students the databases? I mean with
one
of the pieces of equipment which you connect to a computer and it
displays
on a big screen??? (I'm brain-dead today...there is a technical term
for
that piece of equipment!)
Just have the new databases up and running...possibly on a big screen
and
see if that doesn't help....
Other than that, you just keep plugging away. You have a hand-out,
which is
documentation that you have tried to present the information to the
students.
I have a day and a half until our spring break....and we're all
starting to
shut down mentally...so I know your frustration. Keep smiling!
(Sending a virtual hug!)
--------------------------------
I am on your side! This is what I find successful. I have the
computer
hooked up to a TV. I have a student sit at the computer and I tell
them
what to do. So the student is doing the demonstrating. I hope it
helps.
---------------------------------------
Reminds me of the time a G&T kid challenged me on the pronounciation of
the word GREENWICH. There was a tv commercial at the time for the
Greenwich Savings Bank in Bklyn. The commercial referred to the bank as
the GREEN-wich savings bank with the emphasis on GREEN (cash). Anyway I
was telling the kids about Greenwich Mean time and this "genius"
challenged my pronounciation of the word. It wasn't until I had him look
it up in the disctionary that he or his classmates believed me. Why?
Because his teacher was fond of telling them how exceptional they were
that they thought that they knew more than a professional with a BA and
a Masters! Cheer up! Tomorrow will be a better day!
---------------------------------------
How about a handout that describes those databases, folded over and in
a
box or folder labelled with the teacher or class name and "HOW TO ACE
THIS
PROJECT" or something written on it. If you have one or two kids in
the
group who actually realize you know something, and they get superior
results, the word will spread.
Or-a pack of smarties w/tip sheet--for the smarties in the group?
Or--try the database, get the reward? Hang in there!
---------------------------------------
Oh, Jacquie, can I relate to this experience! I
usually end up hovering and then, when they choose
terrible sites or get frustrated, I suggest they open
a new screen and check out the databases. They usually
will NOT admit I am right (after all, they are
teenagers) but are then glad that they used my
suggestions. The NEXT time, the teacher is ususally
more ready to listen to my suggestions about requiring
databases. I often include the teaser that "college
students need to use them a lot."
---------------------------------------
Sorry you're having this experience; it does make your job more
challenging.
Like you said, at least she brings the kids into the library. Maybe
you
could have some sort of contest between you and the kids, to see who
could
find certain information first? You could use the new databases, they
could
use google or yahoo. Then, of course, you would find the information
MUCH
FASTER than they ever could!
This happens to me some times, but occaionally I get the chance to show
off!
:) For instance, one class was looking everywhere online for a list of
US
capitals, state flowers, etc. I went to World Book and found it in
like 3
seconds! They were VERY impressed!
Hope this helps! I'll be sending positive thoughts your way!
---------------------------------------
I, too, am having a rough day - double MS classes, one librarian out.
The kids are researching countries and provincess. I found two students
in the 133 area, and asked what the were looking for, as I didn't think
we had any countries in the Bermuda Triangle section! But we're looking
for Sasquatch, they said. Could you mean Saskatchewan?
---------------------------------------
One of the best successes I have had came quite by surprise when this
happened to me. Students didn't want me to help either but there were
two kids I knew would listen to me so I just started showing them how
to
use our new research piece and they were using it like mad and someone
asked one of them where they were getting all the good info. And as we
had discussed she said, go as Mrs. C. It went on from there. Many of
them just helped each other but that's ok with me as long as they were
getting the right info. Good luck, most kids today really do think if
they know how to log on to a computer they are experts...hang in
there!
Barb
---------------------------------------
Firstly, have you been there a short time? It takes awhile to get
recalcitrant teachers and student to buy in to what you're trying to do.
I illustrate(and reiterate at every chance)about the differences
between online databases and websites.
Anyone can put info up on the web? No one in charge. Costs nothing.
Then I go into the process of writing scholarly research how the same
stringent criteria is used for book writing and database articles, etc.
Importance of updating info, as opposed to a book that needs to be
reprinted. Then, how students can research simultaneously, as opposed to
one student using a book at a time and if you have remote access - how
they can research at night or on weekends.
I find that the teachers who are uninformed dig in their heels and
want me to "go away." But I remain steadfast and it's beginning to sink
in for both students and teachers. They're really afraid, anxious, and
so unsure. I even tried to show the high school principal my online
databases because we have them at our middle school and the h.s.
librarian is totally uninterested. After I gave him my dog and pony
show, he said that these were great for middle school, but his high
schoolers were way past this and doing brilliant research using very
sophisticated websites. I quietly explained that his students will be
using sophisticated databases at college and proceeded to show him a
high school library website with 5 databases for each subject. He was
stunned but I still haven't heard back from him.
Next, I'm going to tackle plagiarism - and world hunger and world
peache.
---------------------------------------
I don't give a talk to honors classes either. I give them a hand out
and quickily mention anything new or something that they should
definitely use and leave it at that. I wouldn't waste everyone's time
going through that for the few that might not read the paper I give them
or the few who aren't swift enough to be able to figure the databases on
their own. Even if I did talk to them as a class I know they won't
listen to me anyway, so I don't fight it.
Jacquie
"The Librarian, whose job is to heal ignorance, to keep life safe for
poetry and to put knowledge smack dab in the middle of the American
way."
From The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9-20-03
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jacquie Henry, MLS
Ruben A. Cirillo High School (GHS)
Gananda Central School District
3195 Wiedrick Road
Walworth, NY 14568
jhenry@gananda.org
http://www.gananda.org/library/mshslibrary/indexgcl.htm
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