[LM_NET] Hit: ELEM: Need quotes from TEACHERS about the importance of research

[Toni Buzzeo <tonibuzzeo@TONIBUZZEO.COM>]

ORIGINAL REQUEST:
I'm back to the work of creating a day-long inservice about the 
research process for K-5 teachers.  I need some quotes from CLASSROOM 
TEACHERS that answer this question:

Why do you feel that it is important for your students to do research?

RESPONSES:
I am no longer in the classroom or the library but to me, it's more 
about the process, rather than the content. I've worked with some 
teachers who seem to want to emphasize fact gathering as the end 
product rather than using the information gathered to make 
predictions, draw conclusions and find comparisons. Wiggins and 
McTighe's backwards design, "beginning with the end in mind" makes so 
much sense to me. Designing a research strand based on outcomes, 
using standards and curricular maps as well as a research strategy 
(i.e. Big Six), allows teachers and library media specialists to put 
together meaningful plans of action for student learning and I have 
had good success doing this with a number of teachers and 
specialists. I know I'm part of the "choir" but thought I'd just add 
my "two cents" as this is a great passion of mine.

***

Elementary children really enjoy the detective work involved in 
research, particularly when the resources are leveled so that the 
research process is satisfying and not too overwhelming. The payoff 
for them, even when it is perhaps a challenging project, is that they 
feel ownership of that subject and they are enormously proud when 
they are able to share their research with the class at large. When 
they find information about a country in Europe for example, it is as 
if they are somehow in some sort of special society of folks who are 
in the know about that country. Their research subject becomes theirs 
in a very personal, almost proprietary, way. Laurie Orsic Wilmington 
Montessori School

***

I feel research is important for two reasons: given a topic that 
interests the students, researching that topic is fun. Also, it gives 
the students strategies to follow (protcol to follow) while doing 
research. It is also a great time to teach about plagarism! OK that 
was three reasons!


Toni Buzzeo, MA, MLIS <mailto:tonibuzzeo@tonibuzzeo.com>
Maine Library Media Specialist of the Year Emerita
Buxton, ME 04093
http://www.tonibuzzeo.com
The Library Doors, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott (Upstart 
2008) BRAND NEW!

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