Research as a Process

"When you are given a research assignment, how many of you Google a question and take information from the top 5 Google results to write your paper?" The kids in the classroom look at me with saucer eyes. Some glance from side to side at their peers and slowly hands begin to raise. I shoot my hand into the air, though I don't think I have ever "Googled" a question. That not how we were taught in the relatively olden days. You would thumb through the card catalog looking for keywords. Moving to databases was a natural shift for us. Keyword and subject searching still ruled in the 90s. "It's okay," I say. "Almost everyone does it. You can be honest. I'm just going to teach you a better way today. You need to promise me that you will try my way. For this project, the process of finding the answers is just as important, more important, than the answers you find."

It's all about the process and inquiry. To teach information literacy, you must teach process and you must teach (as funny as it sounds) curiosity. 21st century kids want to jump to the answer. They are accustomed to Siri pulling an answer from mysterious parts and handing it to them on a silver platter. It doesn't necessarily matter if it is the right answer; It is an answer. People often think that's all they need. One thing we are lacking as a society (in general and happening only recently) is a natural sense of curiosity.
We have forgotten how to ask questions, allowing our search engines and news feeds to do the work of finding answers for us without question. Instead we should:

• use questions to help us think critically
• question and seek multiple points of view 
• not only question ideas of others, but also question our own ideas
• allow questioning to propel us toward a sound answer, not just any answer

We must teach curiosity as tied to process and inquiry. That's what we do for "The Shakespeare Project." This is a grade 9 assignment that reaches all students and encourages them to ask questions, identify keywords, perform close reading, and build skills for more in-depth research assignments as they continue through high school. Five years ago, I began collaborating with colleagues and re-molding this assignment into one focused on process - walking kids through it in baby steps.  We help the kids pay attention to their thoughts about what they are researching, how they are finding information, how their inquiry improves over the course of the project. We begin with a planning stage through the following:

1.  Write a sentence explaining your topic. Underline the keywords. e.g. I am researching Life in Shakespeare’s London, which includes the occupations and treatment of workers in Elizabethan England.
2. Write synonyms for your underlined words and phrases. e.g. "16th century," Renaissance, sixteenth century, jobs, work
3. Write some questions you have about the topic. Be sure to broaden and narrow your focus. e.g.

• What kinds of jobs did people have in Elizabethan England?
• How much were they paid?
• Were they treated well?
• How many hours did they work and how much were they paid?

As students research, they are encouraged to continually note new words that help them find new answers. They are assessed based on continued questioning of their own ideas and the resources they find.

The process of inquiry is the key to success. In my next post. I will talk about the tools we use to propel research and how this early inquiry or planning piece sets the stage for finding solid answers.

Information Literacy in the Curriculum

With a plethora of data filling our heads, one must have an understanding of the sources of information, the manipulation of information, and the gathering and use of information in this digital age. Our students must learn to evaluate information critically to become responsible citizens and contributors to the knowledge economy. What does this mean to educators in practical terms?

The core subject areas with which we grew up in our schooling in the twentieth century are no longer adequate for 21st century students. Thus, we hear the touting of Makerspaces and flipped classrooms for encouraging students to propel their own learning and develop their own knowledge. Yet, there is also murmuring about  how we are raising children on the Internet, but we are not teaching them how to use it properly. There are concerns about teens and cell phone use. There are discussions about the implications of social media related to bullying and self-esteem. There is talk of "fake facts" and the "lying media." Concerns about how we learn, our sources of information, and our evaluation of it are non-stop.

With all this in mind, I propose that students should have complete semester classes in Information Literacy. I will return to this idea many time in this blog. BUT, stand-alone classes in information literacy are not likely to pervade American education any time soon. So, we must consider alternate ways to teach our young people how people generate and organize information. Information literacy lessons must be tied into our core subject areas.

I began as an annoying fly on the wall of the high school where I have now been employed for six years. I'd fly in and out of rows in our library's computer lab, looking over students' shoulders.  I noted how students were researching and what online tools they used for sharing information they found. Soon I would land. I'd inquire about the kids' assignments, sometimes making unwelcome suggestions. ("Go away lady, I'd just like to get this done!") I'd seek out teachers to ask more questions. Some grudgingly responded and seemed to wonder why the librarian was so nosy. Many others responded with enthusiasm, perhaps eager to size up the new librarian, perhaps just friendly enough to humor me.

I soon began making suggestions to teachers. "Did you know that this database would help your
students with this lesson?" I began proactively helping.  "I saw your kids struggling to find information on that subject so I ordered a book on it. Within months, I targeted a freshman research project for collaboration. Before my high school work, I wrote a book on collaboration among cultural heritage institutions and was eager to transfer this approach to a school setting. I was lucky to find true partners among the grade 9 English teachers and together we took an extant lesson to develop our first school Assured Learning Experience in information literacy.

I have set up five such lessons/projects to date. My posts over the next several weeks will discuss these, how they were implemented collaboratively, and how they influence teen learning.  Information literacy can become embedded in education and all students, regardless of future plans and interests, will benefit in the long term from exposure to its concepts.

The 21st Century Role of the High School Librarian

“What is information?” I asked the class.

“Data,” responded one tenth grader.

“Mmmm…yes, data is one TYPE of information,” I replied.

“Articles?”

“That is a source for information…is there another word that includes all types and forms of information?”

And so we go around the room, until one student yells out “KNOWLEDGE!”

As an information professional (librarian, library media specialist -- whatever you want to call me) my patrons seem to find it mind-blowing when I define my role as handling and organizing all knowledge. They begin to wonder what exactly does my librarian do?

I tell my students that if they leave our high school aware that information is around them at all times, I have done part of my job. I tell them that I’d like them to they leave us fully aware of their opportunity to absorb information around them. (Pay attention to the world beyond your phone!) My job is complete if they have the ability to sort information, to use it to make informed decisions, and distinguish “good” information from “bad.” I am successful if they are critical thinkers.

How can I help them on this path? I tell them...

·      Come to me if you are overwhelmed with the information around you

·      Come to me if you can’t find enough information.

·      Come to me if you are having difficulty recognizing the authority of the information you found

·      Come to me if you need to find an expert

·      Come to me if you need a better understanding of how the knowledge you have ties into a wider world of knowledge

·      Come to me if you don’t understand where answers to your questions can be found

·      Come to me if you don’t even know what questions to ask to gain deeper knowledge

High school librarians are vital team members in our schools. We connect both students and faculty to sources and ideas that support subject area learning. We define links between content and create an overarching umbrella for the knowledge that constantly flows throughout the school. Building ties between knowledge and knowledge holders, within and beyond the school, is our greatest skill.

Information Literacy in the 21st Century

Information literacy is a critical component of life in the 21st century. Overloaded with information, it is difficult to distinguish facts from opinion from blatant lies. The primary sources, upon which I built a career, are often forgotten. Citizens turn to social media, often seeking like-minded people to inform them. Or, we look for people with whom we generally disagree to make sure we are in the right camp, believing the opposite of our perceived foes. Today, more than ever, librarians and archivists need to use their skills for outreach. We have an important job that involves helping our patrons understand qualities of information and where to find sources.

For the past six years, in addition to part-time archives consulting, I have worked as a full-time high school Library Media Specialist . In this position, I have learned much about what people believe and how they use information. During this time, I have also earned a post-grad degree in Education. Thus, it is time to restart the ArchivesInfo blog through a new lens.

• What responsibilities do archivists and librarians have to the public?
• How can our skills help mold the 21st century for the better?
• What is information literacy?
• How can, and why should, schools make information literacy a primary component of teaching?
• How can/should education change in the United States to ensure students can evaluate information and think critically for themselves?
• How can educators collaborate with professionals outside of schools to improve school outcomes?

Studying to make education and awareness of information stronger

I will share with you some of my half-decade's worth of writing and publications in this area. I will also share my experiences teaching information literacy and collaborating with professionals in my community. Finally, I hope we can use this space to brainstorm ideas to make our skills as information professionals, educators, and cultural heritage experts stronger.

It's nice to be blogging again...