This question, Karen, absolutely nails the biggest problem in citation
today--looking past the online/offline thing and identifying the true
FORMAT of information sources. It's trickier than ever. And I don't
think you can automate past the need for that core skill, no matter how
good your "citation maker" software is--at some point thinking has to
happen.
That's why, for one thing, I like databases that tab their results by
source type. And more should perhaps add to that with color coded icons
and such reminding students about the source format somewhere
prominently with each individual document. Most provide "how to cite"
samples with, typically, about three citation formats represented in
finished form. But that doesn't teach squat in terms of recognizing
types of sources; instead it jumps right past that skill-set.
The only way I have found to actually teach kids to make format
distinctions is to take the time to show each information format in all
its typical print and online guises, highlight the strengths and
weaknesses of each format, and provide tips for kids so they can ID each
species when they encounter it in the information wild.
Then you hang out with kids when they're actually doing research so you
can help them cite as they go.
How do you get kids past the stage in which the see all information as
either a book or a website? I work with tweens so, when I'm doing
bibliography "shows," I often pick a high-profile, class clown type
"victim" from a class and make up a little illustrative story. It gets
kids laughing and seems to get them thinking, too. It goes something
like this:
(In slightly hushed voice) Chad, you don't mind if I tell everybody
about what happened last Thanksgiving, do you?
CHAD: (Looks puzzled, is genuinely speechless, eventually relents)
I don't know if you guys already know this or not, but Chad and I are
pretty tight. It's true, I've known him his whole life, in fact, Chad
sometimes calls me 'Uncle J.' Why, I can remember Chad when he was just
a toddler waddling around in poopy diapers. He was adorable back then.
No, I'm not kidding, he really was.
Anyway, since I'm a close friend of the family, it isn't uncommon for me
to be over Chad's place on special occasions; like last Thanksgiving for
instance.
Now, maybe I'm just reluctant to come to terms with the idea that my
little Chaddy is no longer a baby, 'cause I've got to tell you that I'm
just not all that comfortable with some of the...changes...I see in him
as he becomes a young man.
Like, we're sitting around on thanksgiving, watching a boring football
game, when suddenly I hear this electronic song start playing and watch
Chad pull a cell phone out of his pocket. First of all, I didn't even
know Chad had his own phone, but it was what he did next that really
shocked me:
Chad began quietly talking to someone as he got up from the couch and
slowly walked away. He was almost whispering, but I couldn't help but
overhear bits of his conversation. He was saying things like "...hey
baby, look I've got people over...sure, I miss you too, sugar,
but...look, I'll hit you back tonight..."
[class laughs]
No that's not even the worst part. Then it got downright gross: he
starts making all these kissy noises "smootch smootch, luv ya babe..."
[Class laughs, I feign wide-eyed disbelief]
And then he hangs up and returns to the couch and--ignoring my suprise
totally--he pretends to continue watching the game!
I could NOT believe it. Chad, keeping secrets from Uncle J!? I stared at
him questioningly, but he wouldn't even look at me. Finally I asked
him, straight-up:
"Umm..Chad? What were you DOING just now?"
And he looked straight in my eyes and said "I was talking...ON THE
PHONE."
[Class laughs, some know where this is going]
Tell me: Is THAT a satisfactory answer?
CLASS: NO!
Is that what I want to know?
CLASS: NO!!
What DID I want to know; what's the only important thing?
CLASS: Who he was talking TO !!!
Exactly. Of course he's talking on the phone, that's obvious! But the
phone is just a channel, a PIPE conversations come through...its what's
on each end that counts.
Its the same way with the sources you use for research. Sometimes I'll
ask a student, "what kind of information source is that?" and they'll
say. "I got it online or I got it on the web." But that's not a
satisfactory answer either. Why?
Because the web is Chad's phone. It's a PIPE, not a source. And if I
want to know the source, I have to learn to look past the pipe.
-------
And so it goes. Tweens always have a lot of fun with this scenario and
it really is an AHA moment for quite a few of them. I then ask stupid
questions like 'do you think it would be possible to access, I dunno,
MUSIC on the web? Really? How about Video? Wow, well those are different
kinds of sources...what about a periodical article, something from a
newspaper or magazine? Reference sources, you think some of them are
online somewhere?...etc., etc.
And pretty soon, you have them past the print/electronic
oversimplification and have them focused on looking at the source
details that matter.
No matter what tools you choose to employ, I think it still takes lots
of time, effort, follow-up and patience to teach citation.
ESPECIALLY if you want to teach the CLASSROOM TEACHERS how to do it,
too. ;>
Jeffrey Hastings
School Librarian
Highlander Way Middle School
Reply to shankhead at gmail.com
-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Ulric, Karen
Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 10:13 AM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: [LM_NET] Target: Biblography lesson - identifying source
type[Spam score: 8%]
Does anyone have a worksheet, lesson plan or powerpoint that would help
students identify the original source type when using online resources.
We subscribe to NoodleBib and it is very useful in talking our students
through the process of creating a citation, but they still have to start
by choosing the correct format of the original source, i.e. reference
book, academic journal, etc. They often have a hard time figuring out
what their original source type is, and that sets them on the wrong path
for the entire citation.
My students can't be the only ones facing this, so I'm hoping some of
you have figured out a way to help them and would be willing to share!
Karen Ulric
Library Media Specialist
Bernard J. Meislin Memorial Library
Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex & Union, Upper School
1418 Pleasant Valley Way
West Orange, NJ 07052
973-602-3653
973-669-0034 (fax)
kulric@ssdseu.org
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