Assignment 3

Minisha Manj

LIBE 467

April 7^th, 2017

                       Assignment #3: Evaluating the Library Reference Services 

Rationale-Observations throughout my career as a teacher

I have been working in my School District for the past four years as a contracted teacher and as a TTOC. Each and every time I substituted at a school or had a contract, I noticed the majority of students using technology, particularly search engines, to look for research. Although there is a wide selection of both print and digital resources available in the library collection, students often used the internet to find information (mainly from unaccredited resources, such as Wikipedia). Anytime students had to complete research projects or any assignments that involved utilizing reference materials, the following was observed:

Research Method/Practices (Students):

·         Type of resource being used: Search engines are utilized quite a bit

·         Selecting resources online: Students do not have the confidence or skills to know how to research

·         Print Resources: Print reference resources are not being utilized or considered

·         OPAC/Database: Hardly any students use the school OPAC/database

Other Factors

·         Teachers: many are unaware of the school’s online digital resources or do not know how to use them

·         Availability of Technology: Limited number of technology now available at the school (computer labs are disappearing and an iPad cart has to be signed out). Without technology devices, students have no knowledge on how to use other resources to find information, such as print materials.

·         Limited Library time: This led to little to no information literacy instruction time.

The screenshot below summarizes the observations that I notice when students have to use critical literacy skills to complete assignments:

Screen shot retrieved from: (Mueller, Theme 1, Lesson 1).

Reference Resources Currently available at my school library:

This section describes some of the reference resources that the school library collection offers. The teacher-librarian has a great number of reference resources for both primary and intermediate students at our school library (both print and digital). The following lists some examples of reference materials for students:

·         ‘Kid-friendly’ Encyclopedias (Discovery World Book; Encyclopedia of specific topics, such as about animals, sports, Star Wars, tools)

·         Large collection of the Guinness Book of World Records

·         Children’s Dictionaries

·         Almanacs (National Geographic for Kids)

·         Atlases, dictionaries, thesauri (Placed around the neighbourhood centres)

In terms of digital resources (both district and school-based), we offer the following:

Images:http://sd79.bc.ca/services/technology/learning-resources/digital-classroom-resources/

In addition to the digital reference resources listed above, we also have the Accelerated Reader Program and IXL Math subscriptions. Both of these resources are used quite often at my school.

Evaluation of Reference Services at my School

I am going to begin this assignment with a quote that inspired me to evaluate the reference services at my school library:

“The role of the teacher-librarian in identifying these resources and in ensuring that students are accessing and using the sources well has become more challenging. This explosion in online, up-to-date resources for school libraries has also done little to replace the need for "traditional' reference materials and has necessitated greater emphasis on student literacy skills” (Mueller, Theme 1, Lesson 1).

Although my school has a very good reference collection in print and digital formats, these resources are not being utilized by students. Initially, my idea for this assignment was to replace a reference resource for my school library, which was to add more First Nations reference resources to my school’s library collection. After evaluating the current conditions at my school, I realized that the majority of students have little knowledge in terms of information literacy skills-researching, comprehending information, selecting a variety of resources, and knowing the differences between credible vs. unreliable resources.

Student behaviours and skills when researching:

Image Retrieved From: https://sites.google.com/a/sau54.org/maplestreet/media-1

Most recently, I have assisted intermediate students with their research projects on the solar system. I observed many students using Google and Wikipedia as their sources of information, not only did they use unreliable resources, but they also copied the exact information they saw. When I asked students to use their own words, they demonstrated the ‘learned helplessness’ attitude. They also did not take the time to analyze and review other search results that Google presented.

Now that many students have access to internet in some way at home, it is going to be more difficult to steer them away from using sites such as Wikipedia. As mentioned by Harris, author of Can We Make Piece With Wikipedia? -“To be quite frank, continually bad-mouthing Wikipedia to the very people who use it—successfully—makes us look a bit daft. It would be much more productive to teach colleagues, students, and parents how to best use Wikipedia” (Harris). This quote is very true-Instead of chastising the website, it would be beneficial to teach students how to use this website as a tool (as a starting point) and then find information that is reliable.

In addition to not taking the time to find online reliable sources, students paid little attention to the library’s reference collection, which includes a wide assortment of text-Encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, handbooks, factbooks, atlases, non-fiction informational texts, among many others.

Affecting Student Learning:

Although students feel comfortable using the internet as their preferred method of finding information, they do not actually know how to the following research methods:

·         Distinguish reliable vs unreliable information (World book Online vs a blog site)

·         Easily get overwhelmed with the number of search results that come up using Google or another search engine

·         Need to be reminded to use a dictionary to look at definitions of unfamiliar vocabulary/words (have difficulty looking for terms)

·         Difficulty using an atlas to label maps/places for social studies assignments

·         Unable to put information into their own words

·         Use little to no print reference resources as sources of information

Teacher Concerns:

I have noticed many teachers asking for research support as of late and even open to a TL-teacher collaboration in order to help students improve their research skills (comprehension of information, selecting credible resources, using a wide variety of reference materials).

Based on the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), it seems that many teachers are also concerned about the level of information literacy skills that students currently possess. According to the CBAM, the majority of teachers at my school are under the ‘Informational’ and ‘Consequence’ “stages of concern.” Under the ‘Levels of Use,” the majority of teachers are in the ‘Refinement,’ ‘Integration,’ and ‘Renewal’ stages. These teacher ‘Expressions of Concern’ and ‘Typical Behaviours’ show that the teachers are willing to collaborate in order to enhance students’ information literacy skills-both during library and in the classroom.

Images Retrieved From: http://www.nationalacademies.org/rise/backg4a.htm

As Riedling states in her text: “To be able to determine what information best fits our needs at any point in time involves a skill called “information literacy” and a process called “information inquiry” (Riedling, pg. 3, Kindle Edition). Thus, it seems that the most important skill(s) to teach students is information literacy skills, mainly research skills.

Include a step-by-step plan (using material from the text, class lessons etc.):

2a) How the change will take place

  Step 1: Communicate with staff. Through communication, I plan to ask teachers to complete a survey-    this will show me how familiar teachers are with the reference resources in the library. The following
    are some questions that I plan to ask:
·  Are they aware of the OPAC/school database and how to access it?

·         Do they know what each of the digital online resources are used for?

·         Do they feel comfortable using technology?

·         How do students react/behave during assignments that involve research?

·         What do students use often to find resources?

·         Do students use print resources?

Learning about questions like the ones above will help me assess how to support teachers when it comes to teaching information literacy skills to students.

Image Retrieved From: http://teachersoccermom.blogspot.ca/2016/01/promoting-integrated-collaboration-as.html

Questionnaire to intermediate students: Not only is it valuable to find out what teachers know/feel comfortable with in terms of their knowledge of information literacy skills, but it is also useful to know what students know and areas they may need some guidance with.

Questions such as the following will be asked to gather information from students:

·         What do you like to use when you have to look for information-books or the internet?

·         What websites so you like to use to look for information?

·         Put the following sentence into your own words…

·         What is a bibliography?                                                                                                          *These are some sample questions that I plan to ask students.

Reference Interviews: The change will take place by discussing how teachers feel about students using a variety of print and digital resources (this will also depend on how comfortable the teacher is with all of the technology sources). The TL will then set up meetings/agreed upon times with certain grade-groups.

2 b) Who will be involved?

Personnel Involved: The TL, classroom teachers, Learning Assistance, and literacy coordinator will be involved to come up with a plan. These gatherings will take place during staff, professional development, and non-instructional meetings.

Current Use of Library Time: Currently, the majority of library time is being utilized for book exchange, each class gets at least two library blocks.

·         Primary classes: read-alouds, book discussion, and then a book exchange.

·         Intermediate classes: Typically 20 minute blocks, mainly used for a book exchange.

New Use of Library Time:

The new use of library time will include some opportunity to teach information literacy skills to students. This will take place through using some of the library time to do book exchange and then a lesson relating to an information literacy skill(s). The following lists how library time is going to be utilized for both primary and intermediate students:

  Primary Students:

Grades K-2:

·         Explore different print texts in the library-look at the images, pay attention to page numbers, and text features

·         Note-taking skills

Image Retrieved From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=510R1jbfvDk

Grades 3-4:

·         Explore different print texts in the library-look at the images, pay attention to page numbers, and text features

·         Practice using digital resources

·         Note-taking skills

·         Super 3 Research skills Model (Riedling, pg. 12, Kindle Edition)

·         Introduce credible vs unreliable sources

·         How to use Wikipedia and Google as starting points

·         Introduce research criteria (in collaboration with teachers). This involves teachers coming up with criteria for research assignments (i.e. must use two books, three digital resources).

Intermediate:

Grades 5-7:

·         Explore different print texts in the library-look at the images, pay attention to page numbers, and text features

·         Practice using digital resources

·         Note-taking skills

·         “Big 6 information Problem-Solving Model by Michael Eisenberg and Robert Berkowitz” (Riedling, pg. 12, Kindle Edition)

·         Introduce credible vs unreliable sources

·         How to use Wikipedia and Google as starting points

·         Introduce research criteria (in collaboration with teachers). This involves teachers coming up with criteria for research assignments (i.e. must use two books, three digital resources).   

Image Retrieved From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEuul8hBip8

2 c) Timeline for improvement:

With the 2016/2017 being almost over, this new change will fully launch in the fall of 2017. Currently, in term three, the TL will begin experimenting and seeing if she is able to incorporate quick information literacy lessons during library time and then make any necessary changes for the fall.

2 d) How you will communicate the change?

Teachers: Through frequent communication-staff meetings and through grade-level meetings (at an agreed upon time).

Students: Students will be informed of library usage during library blocks and in-class.

Parents: Parents will be sent a letter home and be encouraged to utilize beneficial websites to enhance information research skills.

Include any follow-up that may be required and explain how you will determine the success of the Plan.

Overall, many of the school community members noticed success with students receiving more information literacy instruction both in the library and in the classroom. Since teachers created specific criteria that involved students to use a variety of resources to find information (i.e. two books, three digital resources, one search engine website), students were able to enhance their information literacy skills-research, comprehension, and determining credible vs. unreliable sources.

References:

Berinstein, P. (2006). Wikipedia and Britannica: The Kid's All Right (And So'sthe Old Man). Searcher 14(3), 16-26.

Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM): A Model for Change in Individuals.  Retrieved From: http://www.nationalacademies.org/rise/backg4a.htm

      Harris, C. (2007). Can we make peace with Wikipedia? School Library Journal, 53(6), 26.

"Internet Research." (2012, November 5). Good Computer Kids. Video Retrieved From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=510R1jbfvDk

Maple Street Magnet School. Image Retrieved From: https://sites.google.com/a/sau54.org/maplestreet/media-1

Meyer, Randall. (2015, August 26). "What is Research?" Video Retrieved From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEuul8hBip8 

Mueller, Aaron (UBC Instructor). (2017). LIBE 467 (Themes 1-2).

Riedling, Ann; Shake, Loretta; Houston, Cynthia. Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. ABC-CLIO. Kindle Edition. https://www.amazon.ca/Reference-Skills-School-Librarian-Tools/dp/1586835289

   School District #79. Images retrieved from: http://sd79.bc.ca/services/technology/learning-resources/digital-classroom-resources/

Teacher Soccer Mom. Image Retrieved From:

http://teachersoccermom.blogspot.ca/2016/01/promoting-integrated-collaboration-as.html