Thank you to everyone who answered my question so quickly. Here is the original
questions:
Help! I have made a lesson plan on how to use Encyclopedias for reports to
be taught to 4th and 5th grades when a 5th grade teacher told me I am wasting my
time and students don't use "paper" encyclopedias anymore. They just get their
information off the internet.
Am I wasting my time? What do all of you think?
Here are the answers:
Hi Cathy,
No, I don't think you are wasting your time at all. How many state tests expect
kids to just "get everything online" ? NONE. They expect them to be able to read a
passage and get information from it. If they have only been taught to "push
buttons" and never "read" and get information how is that helpful? While I believe
online sources are great I still teach print to my students. Don't most teachers
require more than one type of source- online/electronic AND print? Where are those
skills taught?
Barb Pollutro- MLS
Armor Elementary, Hamburg Central School District
I'd love to see a "hit" on this one. To further add to the conundrum, my district
has subscribed to Britannica Online so we now have access to a search-based online
encyclopedia. While I love being able to search an encyclopedia online, the
students still need to learn how to read an index and use guide words and a print
encyclopedia is a great tool for doing this. The added benefit I found was that my
students were fascinated with browsing the encyclopedias in a way that was somehow
different from online browsing. Maybe they do prefer to go online for the perceived
"ease" of an online search, but they still need the skills, and as they pointed out
themselves when I asked THEM why they might need to know how to use a print
encyclopedia, sometimes a computer isn't available and sometimes our Internet is
down.
Ronda
http://thebookdragon.blogspot.com
http://hardinvalleyes.knoxschools.org (then click on "Library Media Center)
Check out my books on Goodreads: <a
href="http://www.goodreads.com/profile/thebookdragon?utm_source=email_widget">http://www.goodreads.com/profile/thebookdragon</a>
I teach both. One of the benefits of using a paper encyclopedia is that it also
teaches alphabetizing. We also have discussions about the accuracy of internet
sources and how you don't have as much to worry about with a paper encyclopedia.
Sometimes it's so much quicker, easier, and more reliable to go to a source that
has already been deemed reliable than to have to do all that on your own on the
internet. Also, as I tell my students, what happens when the power goes out, your
laptop battery goes dead, or your computer just quits?
That being said, I have not purchased a new print encyclopedia since 2001. Sign of
the times.....but I do steer them to World Book Online instead of just "googling."
Encyclopedias have a place a one source of information when doing research. And
it's generally a very reliable one.
Good luck.
Janet Reid
Librarian
Cold Spring School
Santa Barbara, Ca. 93108
jreid@coldspringschool.net
website: http://www.coldspringschool.net/Classrooms/jpedersen/Mrs.-Pedersen.html
blog:http://csslibraryblog.blogspot.com/
Cathy - I still teach the print encyclopedia. In fact, many students love to
use it over the online databases. It is a great resource to teach index,
headings, guide words, etc. Perhaps some day they won't be published but I
feel there is definitely a place for them in an elementary school. In fact,
I just ordered a new World Book.
Judy Shaughnessy, LMS
Jackson Avenue School
Mineola, NY
No, you're not wasting your time. They still need that skill. No matter how useful,
informative, and easy-access the internet can be, students need to understand that
the encyclopedia is still a trustworthy source of information, and they need to
know how to use it. If they're getting everything from the internet, chances are
they're missing some important pieces of information. (Not to mention that
sometimes it's much faster to find information there than it is trying to sort
through over a million hits on a topic!)
They still need to be able to use an index to find more exhaustive information.
They need to understand how headings help locate information more quickly. Some of
those kids will go to college, where they'll be forced to do research using
something other than the internet. Hang in there!
Kristi Hazelrigg
Media Specialist, Parkview Elementary
I think there's a place for teaching when it's best to use which resource. I have
attached a document I use as I do a lesson about when it's best to use what and
what the benefits of each are. Ann Salt, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
When I told my principal that I wanted to purchase some updated encyclopedias she
asked why when we have access to the online ones. I reviewed with her the skills
the children learned using the books, reminded her that technology isn't always
available, and told her that the online versions are often different from the paper
versions (and often aren't as good in elementary schools) she relented.
Hope you can shed some light for your teacher...ours all use both the online and
book versions with their students.
Good luck!
Marty Arrington, Media Specialist
Russell Elementary School
Smyrna, GA
Not really in that in our state the state tests use print examples rather
than internet examples for questions.
You can reinforce abc order...lots of children don't remember or use that,
Famous people, last name first etc.
Use them to teach/review print text features: bold print, captions, boxes,
labels etc.
Use an article w/ the overhead or lumens to teach main idea and
details...use the same entry and have the children help locate impt info.
THEN...move into wikiepedia etc for transfer of the skills that relate.Good
luck, Jean
She may be.
If you give the kids a free choice as to what they will use, ye olde encyclopedia
or Google, they will probably pick the computer, assuming you have enough of them
for at least pairs of kids to use.
In fact, try it. See what happens. Report back to us.
Of course, next year, the teacher may not be so libertarian and will insist that
the kids use World Book, ah, the dusty ones sitting on the shelf.
BTW, which do you use?
Gordon Walter
Retired AGWSR School Librarian
101 Hilltop Drive
Ackley, Iowa 50601
Tel: 641-847-3315
Email: gordonwalter@mchsi.com <mailto:gordonwalter@mchsi.com>
Tell the professor that students need to know how to use the paper encyclopedia
because they shouldn't become dependent on the Internet nad use it as a crutch.
My suggestion -- incorporate the print into information literacy lesson. Talk to
them about using print sources to check and backup information learned online,
since online sources may or may not have editors who verify the information/avoid
bias, etc. and print sources usually will have an editor. You can also encourage
use of edited online encyclopedias such as Britannica Online.
Betsy Ruffin
librarian-technologist
Cleburne (TX) ISD
betsy.ruffin@cleburne.k12.tx.us <mailto:betsy.ruffin@cleburne.k12.tx.us>
I still think that students need to be shown how to use the index. Many books are
easier and better sources of information than the overwhelming nature of the web
allows, especially if they know how to use the index!
Dear Cathy,
I am a middle school LMS and I teach my sixth graders print encyclopedias as well
as electronic encyclopedias. It is important for them to make the connections
between print and electronic and to understand all their research options. Just
because something is available online doesn't always mean it is the best or fastest
option.
Hope this helps!
Yours,
Katie
Katherine Thurston
School Library Media Specialist
East Middle School
Auburn, NY 13021
katherine_thurston@auburn.cnyric.org <mailto:katherine_thurston@auburn.cnyric.org>
honestly, yes...I do think you're wasting your time. I'd teach them how to use an
online encyclopedia or a database. If neither are available, start teaching them
how to search on the internet besides Google! :)
What are students tested over? Our state tests still use "paper" encylopedias. We
have to teach students how to use them.
Jessalynn McCoin, MLIS
Library Media Specialist
Collins Elementary
Bristow Public Schools
Bristow, OK
jmccoin@bristow.k12.ok.us
Cathy Ryne
School Librarian
Sinai Akiba Academy
Blumenthal Library
10400 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-481-3214
cryne@sinaiakiba.org
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