Re: [LM_NET] Reflection on AASL's new standards

[Christopher Harris <christophergharris@GMAIL.COM>]

The more I look at the new standards, the more they look like the old ones.
Information Power standards 1 and 2 are almost fully repeated in 21st
century standard 1. Here is some of the work I did on a rough crosswalk
between the old and new. What I found is that the new standards are more
heavily weighted towards the higher level thinking skills.

Here is a brief analysis of Information Power standard one. This was done in
an apples to apples way using the Information Power Standards PDF and not
the more fleshed out book which would be less fair because the "book" for
the new standards hasn't been written yet. Also, these are horribly and
tragically reduced and paraphrased.

Information Power
Standard One: Access Information
1.1 need for information
   1.1.1 seek knowledge and make real world connection to use
Yup...that pretty much sums it up. Doesn't take many indicators to say you
need to access information. It is a bit more obfuscated in the new
standards, but 1.1.1 pretty much says figure out that you need information
and have a plan to get it.

1.2 accurate and complete information drives decision making
   1.2.1 investigate beyond superficial facts
   1.1.5 evaluate information
   1.2.2 adapt to ensure success
Now we are getting a bit meatier. Information Power was much more concise,
which made it a lot easier to read but may have left us wanting more. The
new standards still address this, but it is more spread out.


1.3 questions based on information needs
   1.1.3 develop questions to frame search
   1.2.1 pose questions to gather additional information
   1.2.4 maintain critical stance (i.e. ask questions)
We are moving through Bloom's taxonomy here, and as the activity becomes
more complex there are more new indicators that address the idea. Still,
these three pretty much say that when you have an information need you have
to develop questions to get to an answer.

1.4 identify multiple sources
   1.1.6 get information from a variety of formats
   1.1.4 select appropriate sources to answer questions
   1.2.2 make self-directed choices for best sources
   1.2.3 be creative in use of sources
   1.2.7 continue to pursue to gain a broad perspective
   1.3.2 seek divergent perspectives
   1.4.4. ask for help when needed

Oh boy! Indicator overload! Actually, that is the truth of it right there.
Over the past 10 years, we have come up with an incredible number of new
sources in a wide variety of new formats. This means there are more
standards to address the increasingly complex task of identifying sources.

1.5 develop information location strategies
   1.1.2 use prior background knowledge as context for new learning
   1.1.3 develop questions to frame search
   1.1.8 use technology
   1.1.9 work with others
   1.2.1 go beyond superficial facts
   1.2.2 make self-directed choices for best sources
   1.2.5 be adaptable to ensure success
   1.3.4 exchange ideas
   1.4.1 meta search to adapt as needed
   1.4.2 adapt based on feedback
   1.4.3 self-assess for gaps
   1.4.4 get help when needed
The new standards definitely address this one! In fact, with a bit more work
this is probably a pretty good basis for an inquiry-based model of
information gathering. Prior Knowledge -> Questions -> Search -> Exchange ->
Search or something.

So I think all the meat from the old standards is still there. Slippery (not
in the sense of shady or bad, but in the sense of being hard to grasp) is
probably the best word. There are a LOT of indicators here for us to use,
maybe what we need to do individually is draw out a selection that really
speak to us in our situation as David suggests.

Or maybe it would help to remix the presentation of the indicators to just
show the standards and the skills on a single poster. Then a second document
could speak to the students to let them know about their responsibilities
and how to self-assess. That might help reduce the overwhelming nature of
the document at first reading.

Christopher Harris - infomancy@gmail.com
Coordinator, School Library System
Genesee Valley BOCES, Le Roy NY
Vote Chris! ALA Council Candidate 2008


On Jan 3, 2008 9:32 AM, Jacqueline Henry <JHenry@gananda.org> wrote:

>  I expected to LOVE them, because of their emphasis on twenty-first
> century learning.  Instead - they feel very "slippery" to me.  I have
> assumed the problem was because I have not yet studied them as thoroughly as
> I should - but perhaps there really IS little to grab onto.
>
> Jacquie Henry, MLS
>

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