Thank you for responding to my question. I will be sharing these thoughts
with middle school teachers at a district wide presentation on information
literacy.
I think this is always a struggle. Some of the teachers really appreciate
what I do--Pathfinders, pulling books etc. and my rationale is that in the
43 minutes the students are here- SOMETHING gets done. With no direction or
suggestions, NOTHING gets done. I try to work with one teacher at a time and
what helps is when other dept. members brag about how much research their
classes accomplished while they were here. But some days are frustrating
when you are doing your best---
*****
Your teacher obviously thinks that students are born experts when it comes
to research.
Learning to drive a car is a struggle as well. Does she think that they
should be taken to the nearest freeway, put in the driver's seat and told to
struggle away?
Does she throw children into the deep end and yell 'swim or you will drown'?
Once my daughter attended gymnastic glasses. On one occasion (she was about
7), the group was asked to perform a particular move on the vaulting horse.
Somehow, the instructor didn't notice that even the better students were
struggling and most others were stumbling and falling. When it came my
daughter's turn, she simply said, 'I can't do it'. Determined to continue
her teach-em-tough routine, the instructor replied, 'Yes you can' (why
couldn't she believe the child?). And so it went on until my daughter burst
into tears, cam running to me and buried her face in my lap. What the
instructor couldn't see was that my daughter couldn't do the trick because
she hadn't been shown how to. All learners begin as novices - isn't that
what learning is about? Novices can only improve with guidance from the
experienced.
*****
The teacher is the one who is wrong. I'm guessing she is older. Many older
teachers are reluctant in letting students use online databases because they
think it is cheating.
If I were you, I'd put in writing your philosophy on working with students
doing research and make sure who ever evaluates you has it. Then if this
teacher wants to conduct research her way, unfortunately there's nothing you
can do about it. At least you have protected yourself. Just concentrate on
the other teachers and working with them.
*****
This is definitely one of my pet peeves. Some teachers will come in to the
library with their class and say - oh by the way, here is the topic.(We have
a sign up sheet for the library and I don't always catch teachers as they
sign up to find out what they are doing). So many times I look at the
assignment and think to myself - we have nothing here to support this
assignment. If a teacher talks to me first about their assignment, I can
help them tailor it to fit what is available, but not as the students are
filing into the library. As for research being a struggle - I wonder what
kind of experience that teacher had in high school and university to make
him/her think that supporting students doing research would be a bad idea?
*****
And the point of that struggle would be....? If the students are in the
situation you describe -- low reading, comprehension and notetaking
skills -- then there will be plenty of "character building" struggle (read
turn-off frustration)inherent in the task even if you are providing guidance
to appropriate resources. Why do some people think that "raising the bar"
means "tripping the student"? SIGH. Keep fighting -- there's so little to
be gained by putting kids into a situation that makes a task harder rather
than giving them skills to deal with a frustration. I suppose the same
teacher would prefer that they NOT be taught the scientific method, or any
notetaking skills, or any procedure for solving math problems???
*****
Every research project I had, starting in middle school, was a struggle. I
was struggling with learning the process of researching! Luckily I had a
WONDERFUL English teacher who broke it down and taught us through EVERY
step. I picked a subject that meant something to me (another important
point). By the time I got to high school I understood the process and was
not intimidated by it. I felt confident in the skills I had learned and was
not afraid to ask the librarians at my school and public libraries for help.
I was then able to branch out into more difficult topics in high school and
college knowing I understood what I was doing. And if I hit a dead end with
my research (not uncommon) I could backtrack and find another way.
I can't imagine where I would be if Mrs. Goddard had been like this teacher
you were talking about... just throwing us into the water to teach us to
swim.
I would keep working on her/him. And make it clear to the students you and
ALL librarians are there to help. Just ask! It is our job to build their
confidence through success. There will be enough time later for them to
"struggle" with their topics.
*****
Mainly because of time restraints, I have materials ready for the classes to
use for research. If life were perfect and they had all day (for me to show
them where, how, etc.), they would be able to: 1. Decide what to search
for, 2. Search, 3. Use the materials and take notes, .... but most of my
classes are limited to a 45 minute period.
Online databases are a sign of the times - we need to keep up. Does she
prefer Google and other search engines to online databases or is she just
against using the technology?
*****
This is my second year in a middle school. Since last year we have
discarded 8 old computers, practically useless, and purchased 15 new Dells.
I have numerous research classes each week and I prepare pathfinders for all
them. My pathfinders are in a paper format right now as we don't have a
library website. I simply find good websites and list them on the
pathfinder and also pull resources from the library shelves. I have a
bookcase that I label shelves for each class and put the books there. I do
list the books on the pathfinder along with the websites. All of the
teachers have been very appreciative and I am seeing much better results
from our kids.
*******
Information Power states that our students should become effective users of
information. In order to do this, we must instruct them in ways to reach
that goal. Providing them with the skills they need at the particular point
in their education is our job. We start with asic
library skills in the elementary school (locating books on the shelves,
using the online catalog, etc.) BUT, not all children have been taught this;
therefore, we MUST conclude that our job is to review and reinforce those
skills as they continue through their educational coursework. By the time
students are doing "in-depth" research, we think that they should know how
to do these "simple things" because WE do them (hopefully, the teachers are
doing them also). However, again, not all students have been taught these
skills, so we must assume that re-teaching is necessary. Using pathfinders,
pulling books, guiding students in the use of online databases, etc., are
effective parts of the instruction process that we, as librarians are
charged to provide. As information changes daily, it would be foolish to
assume that our students know how to use many of the resources that they now
have available to them. Because we are the experts in this area, we need to
remind others that what was once considered a "struggle" years ago, has
been made much easier by technology; however, the AMOUNT of the information
that must be sifted through has now become the "struggle" that our students
will face. Without our guidance and our experience in evaluating resources,
our students will fail--not only the assignment at hand, but also any future
research that may involve daily living skills.
To create a project that is a "struggle," and defend the frustration by the
students because the teacher believes that it "should be difficult,"defeats
the purpose of instruction. The purpose is to teach the student the skills
they need to not only learn the information at hand, but to also be able to
apply the skills to future assignments or activities (even those outside of
the school). It is important that we, as librarians, remind our teachers
that anytime they face something new that they have never done before / used
before, they feel the same frustrations that their students feel when they
receive assignments that
they believe should be "difficult." (Remind them of how they feel when it's
time to prepare their own taxes....after all, isn't it somewhat like a
research assignment too? I'm sure the government thinks that this should
also be a "struggle" because the ultimate "reward" would be a REFUND, right?
Wouldn't it be nice if someone had gathered all of those receipts, missing
numbers, and special rules together for us so that we could complete the
project successfully and learn from the
experience?) Just some thoughts!
Nancy O'Donnell
Library Media Specialist
odonn247@adelphia.net
Hoover Middle School
249 Thorncliff Rd.
Buffalo, N.Y. 14223
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