[LM_NET] TAR: ideas for middle school "information literacy class"

["MacArthur, Laura" <lmacarthur@AHACADEMY.COM>]

Help, please!!

I just found out that I'm going to be teaching a fixed schedule "specials" class 
for our 7th and 8th graders - my school year starts in a week and a half, and my 
plate was already overflowing before this! Not to mention that I am *so* not a fan 
of teaching info lit skills this way...but I digress...

The administration has detailed me to teach an info lit skills course with a strong 
dose of computer skills, primarily Microsoft Office and some basic Web 2.0 tools. 
Let me say that I am comfortable with teaching those things within my flexible 
access schedule, as pieces integrated into the subject area teachers' units and 
projects - it's the idea of having to generate a separate class' worth of 
curriculum and organized, scaffolded plans in such a short time that has me 
reaching for the smelling salts... I do plan on trying to work with the subject 
area teachers to correlate what I'll be teaching into their research and project 
work, but I just don't know if I'll be able to arrange that and still have 
something to work on every week for a year - actually, I only need a half-year's 
worth, since this is a "rotation" class that meets 3 days one week, then two the 
next, alternating with PE or another "specials" class.

So, before I babble myself into a panic attack: on the principle of not 
re-inventing the wheel, I turned to my favorite resource, but I haven't been able 
to find anything very recent in the LM-NET archives.  I know some of you out there 
teach classes along these lines, and I would *deeply* appreciate it if you would be 
willing to share your experience and expertise, whether it's about curriculum or 
class management issues - I know having these kiddos on a regular basis is going to 
be different that coming in as the "special guest teacher" and being enough of a 
novelty to help hold their attention, and I know that evaluating for a semester's 
worth of grades rather than as part of another teacher's project grade is going to 
be a shift, too. Argh......

I'll happily post a HIT of any comments/advice, and if anyone is kind enough to 
send curriculum documents or the like, I'll compile them to email to those who are 
interested.

Thanks in advance!!!
Laura MacArthur
Media Specialist
American Heritage Academy
Canton, GA
lmacarthur@ahacademy.com
Privileged/Confidential information may be contained in this message. The 
information contained in this message is intended only for the use of the 
recipient(s) named above and their co-workers who are working on the same matter. 
The recipient of this information is prohibited from disclosing the information to 
any other party unless this disclosure has been authorized in advance. 

If you are not intended recipient of this message or any agent responsible for 
delivery of the message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any 
disclosure, copying, distribution or action taken in reliance on the contents of 
this message is strictly prohibited. You should immediately destroy this message 
and kindly notify the sender by reply E-Mail. Please advise immediately if you or 
your employer does not consent to Internet E-Mail for messages of this kind. 
Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not relate to 
the official business of the firm shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed 
by it.
                                                                                    
                                                                                    
                                                                                    
                                                                                    
                                                                                    
                             

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
  You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings
  by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book.
To change your LM_NET status, you send a message to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER:
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET
2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL
4) SET LM_NET DIGEST

 * LM_NET Help & Information: http://lmnet.wordpress.com/
 * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
 * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://lm-net.info/join.html
 * LM_NET Supporters: http://lmnet.wordpress.com/category/links/el-announce/

--------------------------------------------------------------------