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Prior to M12, I was not aware of the various types of plagiarism so I am bookmarking this to remember them. This video is only four minutes long and contains a lot of information.

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I chose to bookmark this David Warlick template for students and teachers to request permission to use copyrighted material for educational use, as it is very helpful to have on hand.  I like that once a template is completed this server automatically sends out the request, with the reply coming to the email address inputed.

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Landmarks -- Permission Request Template

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Most web authors are eager to have teachers use information from their web sites in the classroom. They are just as willing to have students use web information for their various reports. It is critical, however, that permission be gained from the owner of the information, and that the permission be documented.

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M12 Resource 1: Public Domain and Creative Commons Images

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M12 Resource 1: Public Domain and Creative Commons Images

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I want to bookmark this site as it lists a few websites one can use for free to obtain and use public domain and creative commons images. Pixabay and Photos for Class look especially promising to be able to share with teachers and students.

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M11 Resource 3: Using the News to teach reading comprehension

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M11 Resource 3: Using the News to teach reading comprehension

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I have never thought of using the news regularly in my classroom to teach reading comprehension, but I love this idea. It makes total sense that if a student reads a news article that makes them wonder what it's like to be a scientist working in Antarctica, then they are going to become more curious about the topic and craft more inquisitive types of questions. I am bookmarking this article this week, as I want to use this in my ELA class.

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Use the news to teach reading comprehension

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Allowing students to explore news articles that spark their curiosity can provide a bigger literacy boost than having them read nonfiction texts about

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M11 Resource 2: AASL Position Statement on Labeling Practices

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M11 Resource 2: AASL Position Statement on Labeling Practices

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I am choosing to bookmark this AASL resource, as I want to follow AASL's guidelines when I am a school librarian. If a school I work in uses AR and requires that I level books instead of having them displayed for students to find books that meet their information needs then we have a problem. This position statement (and others like it) may help me better advocate for my students.

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M11 Resource 1: Do Not Label Books by Reading Level

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M11 Resource 1: Do Not Label Books by Reading Level

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I want to bookmark this article from M11 as possible reasoning for why labeling books by reading level is discouraging to readers. I was thinking I could revisit this article as needed in the future and use it to advocate for instilling authentic reading habits in our learners.

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Illustration by James Steinberg

A child enters the library, looking for something to read. She wanders the aisles, glancing at book spines, running her finger along the shelf, and lingering at a display of new titles. "Can I help you?" asks the librarian, following with more questions about her tastes: What was the last book you read? What was your favorite part? What TV shows or movies do you enjoy?

The librarian is engaging in readers' advisory-matching readers to books. Effective readers' advisers understand that their success depends on familiarity with a range of books, as well as with their patrons. The librarian may spend several minutes talking with a child, observing body language for clues, and walking together through the stacks while offering suggestions. Professionals know that readers' advisory doesn't end when a patron walks out with books in hand. The next time this librarian sees the child, she'll inquire about the selections, which titles the student enjoyed (or didn't), further refining understanding of the reader.

That process is often different from the hunt for "just right" books in classrooms and collections in which books are organized by reading level. Rather than having a conversation about interests, children in leveled classrooms and school libraries are often directed to color-coded bins or shelves labeled by level. "Your books have a green sticker on the cover," a student may be told.

In classrooms across the country, reading instruction, assessment, and labeling of material have impacted how people search for and engage with books, sometimes resulting in restricted reading choices-even for independent reading. That, as Betty Carter, professor emerita of children's and young adult literature at Texas Woman's University, noted in a July 2000 SLJ article, is a "formula for failure."

What's wrong with "just right" books?

The move toward leveled or "just right" books stems from research showing that children's reading comprehension improves when they read texts at-or slightly above-their reading level. What that level is, how it's determined, and how reading instruction is implemented varies from school to school, district to district, and state to state. Two of the most common methods for leveling books are Lexile and the "A to Z" gradient found in Fountas and Pinnell's Guided Reading system.

"Research says that students should spend most of their time in 'just right' or 'at their level' books, but that research does not say to limit students and what they would like to read," says Pernille Ripp, creator of the Global Read Aloud and author of Passionate Learners: How to Engage and Empower Your Students (Routledge, 2015).

Most educators and researchers agree that student choice is a huge part of reading motivation. Does restricting kids to a prescribed level do more harm than good? Yes, according to Ripp. "Those levels, to quote Fountas and Pinnell, are 'a teacher's tool, not a child's label.' But that's exactly what levels have become-labels that restrict our readers and tell them that their reading identity needs to be based on an outside influence-the teacher-and not their own intuition," she says.

Donalyn Miller, author of Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits (Jossey-Bass, 2013), has called leveling "educational malpractice." Schools have gone too far, she believes. "There is a lack of fundamental understanding by many educators about the limitations of leveling systems and their role in children's reading development," she says. "Matching children with books solely by reading level removes the teacher's responsibility for knowing much about children's literature or teaching children meaningful strategies for self-selecting books beyond level."

Helping youth develop the skills needed to find interesting, appropriate reading material, without leveling, was the focus of Linda Wedwick Haling's doctoral research and led her and coauthor Jessica Ann Wutz to write Bookmatch: How to Scaffold Student Book Selection for Independent Reading (IRA, 2008). Now an assistant professor at the Center for Reading and Literacy at the College of Education at Illinois State University, Haling believes that "the readability formulas have some usefulness. But ultimately, they never account for...what the reader brings to the experience. A reader's 'match' to a book is going to change with what prior knowledge the individual brings to that specific topic. What's most important is teaching kids how to match themselves to 'just right' books. In the real world, books are not leveled."

Bookmatch focuses on teaching children nine key criteria-collectively forming the acronym BOOKMATCH-to consider when selecting a title for independent reading: book length, ordinary language, organization, knowledge prior to book, manageable text, appeal to genre, topic appropriateness, connection, and high interest. It's a process that involves asking questions, interacting with the text, considering personal preferences, and allowing room for trial and error as kids strengthen their skills.

Carter agrees that more attention is needed on teaching children how to find books rather than relying on prescriptive reading systems. "If we are trying to help kids become independent learners, then they need to develop skills for finding their own books," she says.

Leveling the books, or the child?

In a 2012 article for Reading.org, "Guided Reading: the Romance and the Reality", Fountas and Pinnell cautioned that they "never recommended that the school library or classroom libraries be leveled or that levels be reported to parents." Using leveled texts in classrooms following the "A to Z" matrix, Lexile, or other systems, however, seems to contradict this advice, as educators report that more schools are leveling, with some districts mandating it. Teachers often discuss individual reading levels with their students, and some let students know one another's levels.

Miller says that this can be very damaging. "While children are learning the skills of reading, they must also develop a positive reading identity or they will not become lifelong readers," she says. "Removing, defining, limiting, or rejecting children's reading choices disempowers them and creates negative attitudes toward reading-and most likely, school."

Ripp agrees. "I think a few kids will be empowered by it, mostly if they are above grade level," she says. However, those with lower levels "would not be motivated," feeling so behind that they might never catch up.

Fountas and Pinnell advise against making reading levels known to individual students: "We level books, not children." Still, many lament leveling's overuse, to the detriment of literacy and considering the whole child. "Painting kids into a level can...break their desire to read," says Eric Neuman, a school librarian in New York City. "I have witnessed kids with low reading levels working their way through difficult texts because of how interested they are in the subject matter. I've also witnessed proficient readers mess up on passages that they're not interested in."

Supporters, however, view leveling as a motivator. It provides clear goals for improvement that can offer encouragement and structure. "[L]evels were instrumental in helping my eight-year-old overcome her reading struggles," says Jacqueline Miller of Darien, CT. "She could not read the [higher level] books that her friends were reading, and that was far more shame-inducing than knowing what level books were her 'just right' books," Miller says. "The leveled books didn't matter as much for my non-struggling reader. And they both read a huge variety of non-leveled books outside of school."

At the school library

Many school librarians have leveled collections to support curriculum and in response to mandates from district literacy specialists. Michael Bento, a school librarian in Burien, WA, labeled his books according to Fountas and Pinnell's "A to Z" gradient. It's a slow, time-consuming process, Bento notes, but he is pleased with the results. "Students and teachers now refer to this leveling system when looking for appropriate [material]," he says. "It makes it easier for us to help them if we are on board as well."

Neuman says that several years ago, he felt pressure from teachers to level the school library. He resisted and presented a compromise solution. Neuman installed Level It Books, an app for iOS that allows users to scan an ISBN and look up Lexile numbers for most texts. "If a student absolutely had to read something on their specific level, I could make that happen," he says. The New York City Department of Education also provides Follett's Destiny to school libraries to manage circulation, and Destiny includes reading levels for most titles, he adds. "So when kids check books in and out, I can see a level."

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), strongly discourages school librarians from labeling, according to the ALA Position Statement on Labeling Books with Reading Levels. "It is the responsibility of school librarians to promote free access for students and not to aid in restricting their library materials," reads the statement. It also notes that labeling by level can compromise student privacy and First Amendment rights as well as negatively affect browsing and motivational reading.

An ALA document clarifying the Library Bill of Rights states "While some parents and teachers may find housing books by grade or reading levels helpful in guiding developing young readers, a library should not use such labels as a classification system, or to promote any restrictive or prejudicial practice."

Public librarians have also reported requests from parents and teachers to adapt their collections to match classroom reading systems. Amy Martin, a children's librarian at Oakland (CA) Public Library, notes a scenario in which "a teacher brings [in] a class of 25 students, tells me a number or letter range for each one, and asks me to help each find one book at their level...in the space of a 30-minute class visit," she says. "This would not be difficult in a leveled collection....But in a public library, where books are categorized by type (picture book, easy reader, etc.), it's extremely difficult."

What's a librarian to do?

Martin focuses on creating a teachable moment-even for teachers-and doing her best to have her patrons leave satisfied. "When a parent or teacher asks me for books at a certain level, I start by explaining a little about how the public library organizes books and say something along the lines of 'Your school library may organize books by reading level; at this library, we organize them by book type,' and then give them a quick tour of the collection," she says. "I ask what kind of books they like, what other books they've read lately, and show them a couple samples and ask if they look too hard/too easy/just right. I get them to focus on one or two books, and then say, 'OK, let's see what level those are.' "

For school librarians in districts where leveling is the norm, supporting school practices and empowering student choice can be tricky. "The librarian ends up in a hard situation because they see kids who want to check out books that are above or below their perceived level," says Ripp. "Are they then supposed to go behind the teacher's back in allowing the students to check that book out?"

Haling says that it comes down to investing time in helping kids develop skills to select books independently. "We should trust kids when it comes to selecting their own books," she says. "They do have opinions and preferences, even if they're in first grade. They are capable of learning to match themselves to 'just right' books-without the teacher directing them to a labeled bin."

The key is more choice, not less, Carter believes. "Let them take out a lot of books so that somewhere in that pile they find something that satisfies them," she says. "But we have to keep that process going....When they come into the library the next time, talk about their choices: what worked; what didn't. They have to learn their own processes for selecting books, and if we keep narrowing the choices by artificial constraints, we aren't giving them that chance."

Pat Scales, past president of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and author of SLJ's "Scales on Censorship" column, denounced labeling library books by reading level in a March 2015 interview on the ALSC Blog. She advises public librarians to communicate with their school counterparts about reading lists, selection, and student privacy issues.

It's essential, Ripp adds, that librarians and educators step up as advocates for the freedom to read-even if that choice extends below or above a student's reading level. "If a child wants to check out a book, let them....Students are telling us in droves they don't like to read anymore because of these rules. So as school communities, we need to start listening to the students and let them read the books they want to read."

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Thinking Outside the Bin: Why labeling books by reading level disempowers young readers

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Illustration by James Steinberg A child enters the library, looking for something to read. She wanders the aisles, glancing at book spines, running her finger along the shelf, and lingering at a display of new titles. "Can I help you?" asks the librarian, following with more questions about her tastes: What was the last book you read?

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M10 Resource 3: Co-Teaching Necessities 

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M10 Resource 3: Co-Teaching Necessities 

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I chose to bookmark this article because the seven core principles noted in it can provide a common language and mindset to guide co-teachers near and far to create their own "antidote for creating dynamic learning environments." I love the way this is worded because every co-teaching partnership is a unique one. This article also states a required core principle and then provides a possible solution below for how teachers can implement it, which I especially love. For example, "equality" is one required core principle for co-teaching mentioned and the "how" is "Teachers can make sure that both of their names are listed together—in the room, on assignments, on notes that go home, etc. In addition, both teachers use the “we” and “our” language. Students know that there are two teachers in the room who are valued, knowledgeable, and excited to learn." This is both practical and helpful.

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A MiddleWeb Bog
By Elizabeth Stein
By now co-teachers around the nation have had a chance to get off on the right foot. I hope you had a flying start! Maybe even hit the ground running!

The first goal for co-teachers is to pave the way for a successful year by establishing a learning environment that nurtures a sense of community. Some of you are skipping along a self-generated, smooth partnership pathway - while others may find themselves on shaky ground.

If you are working together by choice, it's likely you are well into a good groove by now! In other cases, co-teachers may be working together purely because they were paired by the powers that be-with no choice in the decision. If so, you may be feeling some frustration by now. But stick with me; you can overcome it!

A forced pairing can flourish

This is the reality: most co-teachers find themselves together in the same classroom because somebody says they have to be.

Some "forced pairings" rise to the occasion and decide to just make it work. Others? Well, let's just say that they have no desire to give it their best efforts. (Hey, it happens).

My quest to elevate co-teaching has always been to find an antidote for the feelings of resignation that frequently emerge when co-teachers are forced into a relationship. What can be learned from the co-teaching relationships that DO work and applied to these less-than-ideal situations?

This blog post is dedicated to all co-teachers - those who strive, those who hide, those who thrive, those who push back - and especially those who accept their obligation to students and feel the urge to overcome any undesirable co-teaching reality.

Jim Knight's partnership approach

As I fall comfortably into my new position as an instructional coach, I am finding my style to be naturally in sync with Jim Knight's ideas from his book, Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction. Reading the book, I cannot help but make some obvious connections to creating effective co-teaching relationships through this partnership approach.

For starters, colleagues should find common ground and engage in one-to-one meetings to get at the heart of the emotional stance and perspectives of each other. Jim Knight explains that instructional coaches keep the idea of partnership at the core-and adopting a partnership mindset is "the belief that instructional coaches are no more important than those with whom we work, and that we should do everything we can to respect that equality." Sounds like the perfect mindset for co-teaching partners as well, don't you think?

The Partnership Approach has seven core principles that deepen the awareness of collaboration. Here are the core principles of a partnership approach to learning as they pertain to instructional coaches.

Co-Teaching with Knight's Core Principles

These same principles connect seamlessly to co-teaching. My hope is these seven core principles will provide a common language and mindset to guide co-teachers near and far to create their own antidote for creating dynamic learning environments.

1. Equality: Each co-teacher's beliefs are valued. Each teacher's view is taken into consideration. Both teachers apply their expertise in the planning, instructional, and assessment phases of the learning process.

2. Choice: Co-teachers value each other's opinions. Each teacher is part of the decision-making process. Teachers listen to one another and make instructional choices together.

3. Voice: Both co-teachers must express their points of view. Don't be shy! Advocate for students-and also stay true to yourself to make sure your talents are in the mix of each instructional day.

4. Dialogue: Co-teachers should engage in conversations where both participants are open and comfortable and feel free to speak their minds. It's a time to ask questions, add comments, share ideas!

5. Reflection: Each co-teacher honors the other teacher's need for time to connect, adopt, or adapt new ideas. Simply put...everyone needs time to think. Each co-teacher is free to choose or to reject the ideas of the other - or suggest tweaks.

6. Praxis: Putting theory into practice. Co-teachers who are serious about "partnership" think about how to use one another's ideas in the classroom.

7. Reciprocity: When we have a true partnership, everyone benefits from the success of the learning process. Each co-teacher gains greater personal insights about his own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of his partner. They begin to complement each another by balancing out their talents and skills and their needs for personal and professional growth.

It's a quadruple win

When these core principles become a shared language and mindset between co-teachers, it's a win, win, win, win - co-teacher to self, co-teacher to co-teacher, co-teachers to students, and students to self and to one another.

These core principles, adapted from Jim Knight's widely regarded research work, can be the basis for a successful partnership and a dynamic learning community in any co-taught classroom.
Go on...begin to notice your thinking-your actions-and your language. How do you connect with these core principles? How can this language guide you and your co-teachers to create a Partnership Approach?

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How to Create Fruitful Co-Teaching Partnerships

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A MiddleWeb Bog By Elizabeth Stein By now co-teachers around the nation have had a chance to get off on the right foot. I hope you had a flying start! Maybe even hit the ground running! The first goal for co-teachers is to pave the way for a successful year by establishing a learning environment that nurtures a sense of community.

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M10 Resource 2: Collaborative Strategies 

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M10 Resource 2: Collaborative Strategies 

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I want to save this poster titled, "Collaborative Strategies" because specific conversational starters and day to day strategies are provided. I need specific examples like this to use, so I don't want to forget these in the future! I feel as though some are intuitive such as "Would you like me to....." but "talk with head of departments" is a great strategy I need to remember to save time and still let every grade level know I am available to support them and their learners.

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M10 Resource 1: Levels of Library Services and Instructional Partnerships 

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M10 Resource 1: Levels of Library Services and Instructional Partnerships 

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I decided to bookmark this resource from M10 because different teachers and different tasks & lesson types require unique models. It is beneficial to see the librarian's role outlined so clearly in this table too, as the role changes depending on the need. Great resource to continually reference!

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M9 Resource 3: 100 Best Tools for Different Kinds of Learners 

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M9 Resource 3: 100 Best Tools for Different Kinds of Learners 

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The attached report is one that I now have saved to my laptop and bookmarked here, as it will be super helpful when trying to match online resources to particular needs. Presentation tools, podcast tools, audiobook sites, and note-taking tools are only a few of the subcategories included in this report so the possibilities are endless.

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M9 Resource 2: What Differentiated Instruction Is and Is Not

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M9 Resource 2: What Differentiated Instruction Is and Is Not

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This is the second resource I am bookmarking this week, as this table outlines what differentiated instruction is not. So helpful! There are many misconceptions debunked and it offers good clarification for each statement. For example, it states that differentiation is not done all day everyday, but rather implemented when needed. It goes on to explain that whole-class instruction is valuable for students and necessary part of instruction.

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M9 Resource 1: Six Scaffolding Strategies

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M9 Resource 1: Six Scaffolding Strategies

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I want to bookmark this article, as it provides six practical and beneficial scaffolding strategies that I can employ with students. "Pre-teach vocabulary" is listed and one that I definitely need to implement more regularly into my classroom.

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Support every student by breaking learning up into chunks and providing a concrete structure for each.

What's the opposite of scaffolding a lesson? Saying to students, "Read this nine-page science article, write a detailed essay on the topic it explores, and turn it in by Wednesday." Yikes! No safety net, no parachute-they're just left to their own devices.

Let's start by agreeing that scaffolding a lesson and differentiating instruction are two different things. Scaffolding is breaking up the learning into chunks and providing a tool, or structure, with each chunk. When scaffolding reading, for example, you might preview the text and discuss key vocabulary, or chunk the text and then read and discuss as you go. With differentiation, you might give a child an entirely different piece of text to read, or shorten the text or alter it, or modify the writing assignment that follows.

Simply put, scaffolding is what you do first with kids. For those students who are still struggling, you may need to differentiate by modifying an assignment or making accommodations like choosing a more accessible text or assigning an alternative project.

Scaffolding and differentiation do have something in common, though. In order to meet students where they are and appropriately scaffold a lesson or differentiate instruction, you have to know the individual and collective zone of proximal development (ZPD) of your learners. Education researcher Eileen Raymond says, "The ZPD is the distance between what children can do by themselves and the next learning that they can be helped to achieve with competent assistance."

So let's get to some scaffolding strategies you may or may not have tried yet. Or perhaps you've not used them in some time and need a gentle reminder on how awesome and helpful they can be when it comes to student learning.

1. Show and Tell

Try a fishbowl activity, where a small group in the center is circled by the rest of the class; the group in the middle, or fishbowl, engages in an activity, modeling how it's done for the larger group.

Always show students the outcome or product before they do it. If a teacher assigns a persuasive essay or inquiry-based science project, a model should be presented side-by-side with a criteria chart or rubric. You can guide students through each step of the process with the model of the finished product in hand.

Use think alouds, which will allow you to model your thought process as you read a text, solve a problem, or design a project. Remember that children's cognitive abilities are still in development, so opportunities for them to see developed, critical thinking are essential.

How many of us say that we learn best by seeing something rather than hearing about it? Modeling for students is a cornerstone of scaffolding, in my experience. Have you ever interrupted someone with "Just show me!" while they were in the middle of explaining how to do something? Every chance you have, show or demonstrate to students exactly what they are expected to do.

2. Tap Into Prior Knowledge

Ask students to share their own experiences, hunches, and ideas about the content or concept of study and have them relate and connect it to their own lives. Sometimes you may have to offer hints and suggestions, leading them to the connections a bit, but once they get there, they will grasp the content as their own.

Launching the learning in your classroom from the prior knowledge of your students and using this as a framework for future lessons is not only a scaffolding technique-many would agree it's just plain good teaching.

3. Give Time to Talk

All learners need time to process new ideas and information. They also need time to verbally make sense of and articulate their learning with the community of learners who are engaged in the same experience and journey. As we all know, structured discussions really work best with children regardless of their level of maturation.

If you aren't weaving in think-pair-share, turn-and-talk, triad teams, or some other structured talking time throughout the lesson, you should begin including this crucial strategy on a regular basis.

4. Pre-Teach Vocabulary

Sometimes referred to as front-loading vocabulary, this is a strategy that we teachers don't use enough. Many of us, myself included, are guilty of sending students all alone down the bumpy, muddy path known as Challenging Text-a road booby-trapped with difficult vocabulary. We send them ill-prepared and then are often shocked when they lose interest, create a ruckus, or fall asleep.

Pre-teaching vocabulary doesn't mean pulling a dozen words from the chapter and having kids look up definitions and write them out-we all know how that will go. Instead, introduce the words to kids in photos or in context with things they know and are interested in. Use analogies and metaphors, and invite students to create a symbol or drawing for each word. Give time for small-group and whole-class discussion of the words. Not until they've done all this should the dictionaries come out. And the dictionaries will be used only to compare with those definitions they've already discovered on their own.

With the dozen or so words front-loaded, students are ready, with you as their guide, to tackle that challenging text.

5. Use Visual Aids

Graphic organizers, pictures, and charts can all serve as scaffolding tools. Graphic organizers are very specific in that they help kids visually represent their ideas, organize information, and grasp concepts such as sequencing and cause and effect.

A graphic organizer shouldn't be The Product but rather a scaffolding tool that helps guide and shape students' thinking. Some students can dive right into discussing, or writing an essay, or synthesizing several different hypotheses, without using a graphic organizer of some sort, but many of our students benefit from using one with a difficult reading or challenging new information. Think of graphic organizers as training wheels-they're temporary and meant to be removed.

6. Pause, Ask Questions, Pause, Review

This is a wonderful way to check for understanding while students read a chunk of difficult text or learn a new concept or content. Here's how this strategy works: Share a new idea from discussion or the reading, then pause (providing think time), and then ask a strategic question, pausing again.

You need to design the questions ahead of time, making sure they're specific, guiding, and open-ended. (Even great questions fail if we don't give think time for responses, so hold out during that Uncomfortable Silence.) Keep kids engaged as active listeners by calling on someone to give the gist of what was just discussed, discovered, or questioned. If the class seems stuck on the questions, provide an opportunity for students to discuss in pairs.

With all the diverse learners in our classrooms, there is a strong need for teachers to learn and experiment with new scaffolding strategies. I often say to teachers I support that they have to slow down in order to go quickly. Scaffolding a lesson may, in fact, mean that it takes longer to teach, but the end product is of far greater quality and the experience much more rewarding for all involved.

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6 Scaffolding Strategies to Use With Your Students

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Support every student by breaking learning up into chunks and providing a concrete structure for each. What's the opposite of scaffolding a lesson? Saying to students, "Read this nine-page science article, write a detailed essay on the topic it explores, and turn it in by Wednesday." Yikes!

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M8 Resource 3: Formative Assessment Infographic

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M8 Resource 3: Formative Assessment Infographic

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This is the final resource I am choosing to bookmark this week, as infographics relay information in an easy-to-read fashion. The only problem is they sometimes leave me wanting an article below it to explain points mentioned in the infographic. For example, one assessment mentioned under the "without technology" section is "colored paper" and I am not sure what exactly this looks like. The other ones look good to remember though and I love that at the top it starts by reminding us that formative assessments are a part of the instruction process.

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M8 Resource 2: Quick Formative Assessments

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M8 Resource 2: Quick Formative Assessments

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I decided to bookmark this PDF, as it contains a few formative assessment ideas. This PDF also contains templates that I could print and use with students.

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I am choosing to bookmark this article, as I am always open to new, simple ideas that I can realistically incorporate into instruction. These 10 quick assessments are a great starting point.

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by TeachThought Staff

Good assessment is frequent assessment.

Any assessment is designed to provide a snapshot of student understand-the more snapshots, the more complete the full picture of knowledge.

On its best day, an assessment will be 100% effective, telling you exactly what a student understands. More commonly, the return will be significantly lower as the wording of questions, the student's sense of self-efficacy, or other factors diminish their assessment performance. It sounds obvious, but a student is a human being with an entire universe of personal problems, distraction, and related challenges in recalling the information in the form the assessment demands.

This makes a strong argument for frequent assessment, as it can be too easy to over-react and "remediate" students who may be banging against the limits of the assessment's design rather than their own understanding. Rather than re-teaching, sometimes all that is necessary is re-measuring.

It is a huge burden (for both teachers and students) to design, write, complete, grade, and absorb the data into an instructional design sequence on a consistent basis. So why not frequent, simple assessments?
Simple Assessments
The word 'simple' here is misleading. Rather than describing the cognitive load on the student, it instead describes the complexity of the assessment form itself. The simpler the assessment-in terms of process and logistics-the more 'purely' it can function as a tool to get at what a student actually understands, and help you identify how to help them.

Then, due to their brevity, they're simple to grade-in fact, you can grade them as exit slips-which makes taking the data and informing instruction (the whole point of assessment) a much simpler process as well.
1. New Clothes
Take a given topic-thesis statements, push-pull factors, the scientific process, etc.-and describe how it can be used in some way other than how you've been taught.

Example of Student Response: We've learned the scientific process by looking at how actual scientists study new things, but the scientific process would also make an excellent tool for detectives to use while pursuing criminals. It would allow them to observe data, form theories, test theories while collecting more data, and draw conclusions that can then be judged in a court of law.
2. Dos & Don'ts
List 3 Dos and 3 Don'ts when using, applying, relating to the content (e.g., 3 Dos and Don'ts for solving an equation).

Example of Student Response: When adding fractions, DO find a common denominator, DO add the numerators once you've found a common denominators, DON'T simply add the denominators
3. Three Most Common Misunderstandings
List what you think might be the three most common misunderstandings of a given topic based on an audience of your peers.

Example of Student Response: In analyzing tone, most people probably confuse mood and tone, forget to look beyond the diction to the subtext as well, and to strongly consider the intended audience.
4. Yes/No Chart
List what you do and don't understand about a given topic-what you do on the left, what you don't on the right, but you overly-vague responses don't count. Specificity matters!

Example of Student Response: In learning about paragraph structure (Do Understand): what a topic sentence is, how many sentences a paragraph should have, that a paragraph should be about one idea; (Don't Understand) how a paragraph can have a conclusion, how to know when I've given enough supporting details in the paragraph, how to revise a paragraph
5. Three Questions
Ask three questions about the topic, then rank them in terms of their importance/value.

Example of Student Response: Low Importance: Does the prefix "tri" mean 3? Medium Importance: Is the triangle the only 3-sided geometrical figure? High Importance: Why don't triangles show up very often in nature (as so many other shapes do)?
6. Explain What Matters
Explain the most critical part of a given topic to a self-selected audience (must clarify) in two or fewer sentences. (Audience can be anyone!)

Example of Student Response: The most important part of a thesis statement is clarity and conviction, so I'll explain that one to Jay-Z: A thesis statement is kind of like the hook or title of one of your songs-it delivers the message that the song goes on to explain. Feel me?
7. Big Picture
Diagram the context-where does it fit in and how does it function in its natural "bigger picture." This is good for abstract or right-brain thinkers.

Example of Student Response: It is impossible to understand the rules we live by and how they're formed without understanding the 3 branches of government.
8. Venn Diagram
Compare/Contrast a given topic to a tangent topic (e.g., the water cycle to distillation, symbolism to allusion, etc.)

Example of Student Response: A Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting symbolism and allusion, or tone and mood.
9. Draw It
Draw what you do understand.

Example of Student Response: A drawing of what an adjective thinks about a noun, or a how much smaller in size the thousandth's place is compared to the ten's place.
10. Self-Directed Response
Prove to me you understand in diagram, written, or related form in a way that a stranger would understand.

Example of Student Response: I wrote this chorus of a song I've been thinking of that would explain this character's motivation....

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10 Simple Assessments You Can Perform In 90 Seconds

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From 3-2-1 to Do's and Don'ts and concept maps, here are 10 simple assessments you can complete in about 90 seconds.

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M7 Resource 3: Flipped Classroom Tools & Tips for Educators

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M7 Resource 3: Flipped Classroom Tools & Tips for Educators

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I definitely want to bookmark this article for future use, as it includes many helpful links to resources teachers can use who are trying out the Flipped Classroom approach. All of the tools listed in this article I was unaware of before reading it! This may be helpful for me when preparing library material to share with learners across the entire school via Google Classroom, etc.

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Flipped learning is one of the modern pedagogy to facilitate the new teaching and learning needs.

Among other pedagogies like BYOD, 1:1 and many such, Flipped Learning turns out to balancing the essence of traditional teaching intact, keeping values and human touch alive to the modern and mandatory introduction of technology in place.

Commonly explained as a pedagogical model, Flipped Classrooms are those in which the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed. Short video lectures are viewed by students at home before the class session, while in-class time is devoted to exercises, projects, or discussions.

In this post I have mentioned the commonly used tools by educators to flip their classroom and some tips that they will find helpful for the same.

Check out the list of tools below!

Tegrity is a great tool that is used for flipping the class. It records each and every activity that is performed on a teacher's computer. Audio of the teacher can also be added by simply adding a microphone to the computer. If you add a web-cam, and a tablet you would be able to record the video of the teacher and his writing actions as well. Tegrity is also integrated with a Course Management System, Angel, so after completion of lecture recording, these are uploaded automatically for the students. To use Tegrity, you don't have to change your teaching style. As a teacher or instructor, you can manage the number of students you want to share the recording links with, and can delete the recordings whenever you want, or save them for future.

As a student, you have freedom to find a specific portion of a lesson, bookmark it, and you can also send electronic questions to your teachers. This tool helps you access materials easily, even from your smartphone.

Jing helps with Show me videos which can be extremely helpful for learners. You can create and post help resources online with this free software. You can capture your screen, a photo to annotate and explain, or create a video of the steps that students need to follow. Although Jing is free, you must install the software to your computer and your videos cannot be longer than 5 minutes long.

By far one of the most popular educational web tools available, Poll Everywhere is being used by classrooms, conferences, and with audiences large and small to get instant feedback. From presentations to keynotes to question-and-answer situations, it's a useful (and free) tool for any classroom. The tool makes itself a perfect method for garnering feedback from students, by students. The teacher doesn't even need to be involved. According to what we're hearing from our friends who wrote in, flipped classrooms use Poll Everywhere to enable students to keep track of the learning process among their classmates. Giving students control of the tool has proven to be quite effective.

Celly is a hit with schools with limited network reliability and availability. It works by letting groups of people (classrooms, student groups, etc.) create a 'cell' using the app. A cell is a mobile social network that works with any mobile phone or device. Members can join instantly with one text and exchange group messages, polls, reminders, and web alerts. Students use Celly to connect with one another at anytime, anywhere. They use the text-based social network to pose questions of each other, direct learning, and even create assignments based on where students want to go in their learning next.

Screencast-o-matic is a tool that helps a teacher in recording everything they do does on their computer. They can also add audio to the recording with the help of a microphone. This tool can be especially helpful when teaching involves modeling the use of online tools and resources as students can effectively watch over the shoulder of the teacher. As a teacher you don't have to install any software to use this tool, as it is run directly from the website. If you set up a free account on their website, you'll get 15 minutes of free recording, video uploading, and you can directly publish the recorded material to YouTube.

For more information you must check this Flipped-Learning Toolkit: Let's Talk Tech by Jon Bergmann that mentions of various tools!

Some Tips For Educators:

Collaboration Is Important (For Everyone). One of the greatest benefits of the flipped classroom is the opportunity it provides for collaboration. In class, students can work together in groups to share the information they've gained from the content at home. Just as the students in a group can fill the gaps in one another's knowledge, the various groups in a classroom can also interact to share their learning. The teacher is available to provide solutions the class can't reach collaboratively and provide a focus for discussion. This collaborative activities facilitates for the group based learning needs. Not just these activities help then in better understanding of the topic but also help them in developing some essential skills. Remember, collaboration isn't limited to students; teachers can also collaborate on their flipped learning resources. Flipping a classroom for the first time can be a steep learning curve, and help from your peers makes it an easier climb. Share advice, worries, skills and resources with the teachers in your school or network.

Be upfront with learners about pre-class expectations. Be clear and specific about what work they need to accomplish independently-and that pre-class videos, podcasts, reading materials, and other assignments are not optional, but preparation for in-class, workshop-like exercises. You may have to assess learners' understanding of pre-class assignments to make best use of in-class time.

Prepare for the unexpected during in-class exercises. Agility and flexibility are often over-used terms in business, but they are appropriate in the case of flipped learning. Because more time is spent interacting in the classroom with learners and applying new knowledge and behaviors to real work challenges, instructors and facilitators need to be prepared for unforeseen things to happen. You may need to let your learners set the pace of learning.

Invest time and resources in preparing quality pre-class materials. Don't be misled into thinking flipping simply means recording a current lecture and posting to website. You will need to rethink existing course materials to determine what portions must remain in print and what can move to video. Spend time finding out what is out there already, then spend more time on the timing, sequencing, and creating clear instructions. Create your own videos or materials as needed, not every lesson.

What's your take on the introducing flipped learning in classrooms? Share with us in the comment section below.

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Set of Flipped Classroom Tools & Tips for Educators

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Flipped learning is one of the modern pedagogy to facilitate the new teaching and learning needs. Among other pedagogies like BYOD, 1:1 and many such, Flipped Learning turns out to balancing the essence of traditional teaching intact, keeping values and human touch alive to the modern and mandatory introduction of technology in place.

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This blog post is a great one to reference when I need to be reminded about the types of assignments that matter to students. What are the attributes of projects that help instill creativity?

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Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 05:10AM
I am not very good at self-promotion. Minnesota modest, I guess. Yet I also think my new book Teaching Outside the Lines: Developing Creativity in Every Learner may improve kids' lives. With that hope, I will be putting short excerpts from the book in a blog post each weekend for a bit. Good thing I don't have to make my living as a salesman.
This is the second part of a post begun here. References in this post to Chavez and Hanson are to the earlier part.
From: Chapter Five: A Job Not Worth Doing is Not Worth Doing Well: What are the attributes of projects that help instill creativity? Assignments that matter to the student:

1. Projects that allow creativity give students choices. If the purpose of the assignment is to teach a basic understanding (how past events impact our lives today) or a set of skills (being able to recognize a geometric shape), it doesn't make any difference what the example might be. If a student takes a picture of a toy with a circular design or a tree stump, does it matter? Dig down and look at the core concepts that projects are trying to teach, and let the students pick specific subjects that interest them.

2. Projects that allow creativity are relevant to the student's life. For today's students, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. marching on Washington is about as real as George Washington crossing the Delaware. But by asking his students to interview their families or members of the community, Mr. Chavez added real faces and lives to these events. The stories resonated with those doing the interviewing. By taking photos of their environment, students learn geometric shapes exist in their own lives. So many times we ask our students to research important topics - environmental, historical, or social issues - but fail to help them make the vital connection of why the findings are important to today. Strive for projects that are relevant because they are timely, local, or personal.

Activities that involve the student:

Projects that allow creativity use technology in productive ways. Whether for planning, for research, or for communication, most students find the use of technology motivating. The students in the examples used computer programs that were not purposely designed to be "motivational." It is the challenge of creating original content and designing containers for that content that give good productivity tools like cameras, recording equipment, graphic programs, slideshow creators, and web page construction kits - the virtual equivalent of a set of LEGOs - their motivating qualities. And of course, open doors for original uses.

Assessments that help the learner:
Why don't all teachers design projects with some or all of these elements. Well, a 4 th "A" sneaks in. Attitude is Everything Teachers who work on these kinds of project know that they don't always work the first time. But they keep trying. These teachers display grit as well.

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Creativity and project-based learning 2 - Home - Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog

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Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 05:10AM I am not very good at self-promotion. Minnesota modest, I guess. Yet I also think my new book Teaching Outside the Lines: Developing Creativity in Every Learner may improve kids' lives. With that hope, I will be putting short excerpts from the book in a blog post each weekend for a bit.

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This website includes a variety of sources such as FOSIL inquiry cycle skill sets and graphic organizers that I could use in the future. This inquiry framework (Connect, Wonder, Investigate, Construct, Express, and Reflect) is one I could utilize in the future, so I need to remember that it exists.

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Resources For Inquiry Learning | The Fosil Group

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Free downloadable resources available for inquiry learning. Filter and search through our growing collection of resources.

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I chose to bookmark this resource because I really like how these three research models are broken down and explained on this website. It is a convenient site to pull up and use with students when discussing one of the three research models covered (ISP, Stripling & Pitts, etc.). I will be sure to also show my students the search process graphic that notes that the process is non-linear, as after taking notes you can go back and further narrow down your topic.

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We know from decades of studies that when people do research, they follow a process with some predictable stages. There are many models of this process. Here are three. As you read, think about what these models have in common.

The Search Process Model 1

Step 1: Choosing a Topic and Asking Questions
Define your research problem, explore topics, do some background building, and create questions to guide your research.

Step 2: Identifying resources
Figure out what resources you'll need to best answer your questions and solve your research problem. These might include people, books, magazines, newspapers, videos, websites, and any other source of information.

Step 3: Planning your search
Narrow or broaden your topic, create subject and keyword lists to search, prioritize your questions, create interview questions, schedule interviews, and organize your search time.

Step 4: Hunting and Gathering
Gather all the information you think you'll need. Use all your locating skills, including skimming and scanning, using indexes and tables of contents, checking for gaps in information, and recording bibliographic information.

Step 5: Sifting and Organizing
Decide what to keep, what to leave out, how to record the information, how to organize your notes into useful parts. Figure out what are the best sources available. Decide which sources are reliable and credible. Verify facts and sources.

Step 6: Making It Your Own
Once you've gathered lots of information about your topic, you'll still need to make it your own by adding your own thinking to it. You might analyze, interpret, compare, or view facts from another perspective. You may use facts from a variety of sources to create a completely new argument or solve a problem in an original way.

Step 7: Communicating Your Findings
This stage involves all the issues in sharing what you've learned with your audience. This includes deciding on a format (paper, web page, PowerPoint presentation, video, etc.); identifying the audience; choosing the tone and style of communication; proofreading, editing, and revising; citing your sources; and preparing a bibliography.

Step 8: Looking Back on What You Learned and How You Learned
This stage involves thinking about the content you learned and the process you went through to do your research. Your teacher may ask you to do some reflecting throughout a project. You may be asked to evaluate yourself against a rubric, keep a log or journal about your progress, describe the search process you use, and to honestly assess your own strengths and weaknesses as a researcher.

Research Process Model 2 (Stripling & Pitts)

This model breaks the process into more steps:

Step 1: Choose a broad topic.

Step 2: Get an overview of the topic.

Step 3:Narrow the topic.
Reflection Point: Is my topic a good one?

Step 4: Develop a thesis or statement of purpose.
Reflection Point: Does my thesis of statement of putpose represent an effective, overall concept for my research?

Step 5: Formulate questions to guide research.
Reflection Point: Do the questions provide a foundation for my research?

Step 6: Plan for research and production.
Reflection Point: Is the research / production plan workable?

Step 7: Find / Analyze / Evaluate sources.
Reflection Point: Are my sources usable and adequate?

Step 8: Evaluate evidence / Take notes / Compile bibliography.
Reflection Point: Is my research complete?

Step 9: Establish conclusions / Organize information into an outline.
Reflection Point: Are my conclusions based on researched evidence?
Does my outline logically organize conclusions and evidence?

Step 10: Create and present final product.
Reflection Point: Is my paper / project satisfactory?

Research Process Model 3(C. Khulthau)

This model is unique in that it incorporates the development of thoughts about a research topic and the feelings associated with the search process.

Here's another way to look at the same model. Do you recognize exeriencing similar feelings as you go through the research process?

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We know from decades of studies that when people do research, they follow a process with some predictable stages. There are many models of this process. Here are three. As you read, think about what these models have in common.

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M6 Resource 2: Conducting Effective Internet Research

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M6 Resource 2: Conducting Effective Internet Research

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This blog post contains helpful tips for two teachers on conducting research in the classroom. I especially appreciate that they included direct links to kid-friendly, appropriate search engines for teachers to access and share with their students. All of the tips shared in this post are ones I want to remember, especially the images one.

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There has been a great deal of buzz about research-based writing lately, in no small part because of its emphasis in the Common Core Standards. Indeed, there is an entire strand of the writing standards dedicated to research. From the document English Language arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (p.18):

Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research

Research-based writing is quite challenging in that it requires complex reading skills. Students must comprehend, analyze, and translate evidence, and they must evaluate sources. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. They also must learn to write well, to structure their writing, to link ideas and evidence, and to connect with their readers.

One thing I find so interesting when I visit schools, or when I'm teaching myself, is noticing what is exactly the same as when I was in elementary school thirty years ago and what is different. When I was in school, we conducted plenty of research projects. There are very few of us born before the new millenium who cannot conjure images of notecards, confusing tomes, and the Dewey Decimal system. There is much that has not changed when it comes to research projects. I remember struggling with the research portion of research-based writing when I was in school, and I see many students now doing the same.

There is, of course, one HUGE thing that has changed about research-based writing: the Internet. Imagine being able to type in a phrase such as "eating habits of the Tasmanian devil" and getting about 14,000 results in .61 seconds. That would have been very hard to believe for me as a girl, as I combed through old volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica hoping I might find a kernel or two that I could weave into my report.

Here are a few tips for helping students to conduct online research effectively and safely to support research-based writing. Many are based on ideas from Bringing History to Life, in the Grade 4 Units of Study for Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing, which I co-wrote with Lucy Calkins.

Bookmark appropriate search engines. Although Google is the go-to search tool for many of us, it's not always the most kid-friendy. Try kidrex.org, askkids.com, awesomelibrary.org, and onekey.com.

Try channeling kids to conduct image searches rather than Web searches. Images are more accessible in the sense that one does not need to be at a particular reading level in order to be able to make sense of them. Additionally, studying images can help students to visualize topics they are researching in order to get a better understanding of them. And of course, images encourage analysis and interpretation as students must translate ideas they garner from studying them into their own words.

Teach kids to minimize the words they enter into a search engine. Kids often use too many words when conducting searches, yielding results that are off topic or that lack focus. Many kids enter an entire question, such as: "What kinds of things do kiwi birds eat at night?" While search engines might produce some viable results, the results will be much more targeted if fewer words are entered, such as: "kiwi bird diet".

Many kids (and adults) aren't aware of how to use keywords and symbols effectively to refine searches. Typing a phrase into a search engine without any keywords will yield a list of results that contain the words in the search in any order. Putting quotes around the phrase will yield a list of results in that exact order. Additionally, the keywords "and" and "or" might be helpful. The keyword "and" will return sites with all of the terms (kiwi and echidna, for example), while the keyword "or" will return results with one or the other.

It's ok to go retro - kids still do benefit from reading actual books. One tip: make sure you have a variety of reading material at appropriate levels, and let your students pick they books they read and use for research. If books are too difficult, students will just skim them in hopes of finding a line or two they can understand enough to pluck out and pop into their reports. Incidentally, this is what they often do with websites, most of which are too difficult for many young students.

As my husband, who loves to go on "Wikipedia walks" can attest, the Internet can be a real time-waster. One site leads to another, a list of tens of thousands of websites must be pursued. Be on the lookout for students who have gone down the rabbit hole of web-searching, and limit their time online.

Finally, to ensure that students are thinking, crafting, and composing, and not just parroting or reporting, emphasize ideas in addition to (or more than) facts. As they collect information in their notes, teach students to study information they find online and to sort it, weigh it, and distill it. As they draft, teach students to include their own thinking about the information and some transition phrases to link their ideas to information from published sources (This is important because..., In other words..., This connects with...). Chris Lehman's book, Energizing Research Reading and Writing is a wealth of insightful tips on helping students to distill researched information.

Your Turn

What does research-based writing look like in your classroom/school/district?

What are ways you teach your students to safely use the Internet?

Anna is a staff developer, literacy coach, and writer, based in New York City. She taught internationally in places such as Sydney, Australia; San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and Auckland, New Zealand in addition to New York before becoming a staff developer for the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University (TCRWP). She has been an adjunct instructor in the Literacy Specialist Program at Teachers College, and teaches at TCRWP where she helps participants bring strong literacy instruction into their classrooms. Anna recently co-wrote Bringing History to Life with Lucy Calkins, part of the 2013 series Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing (Heinemann). She has been a researcher for Lucy Calkins, contributing especially to Pathways to the Common Core (Heinemann, 2012) and Navigating Nonfiction (Heinemann, 2010). View all posts by Anna Gratz Cockerille

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There has been a great deal of buzz about research-based writing lately, in no small part because of its emphasis in the Common Core Standards. Indeed, there is an entire strand of the writing standards dedicated to research. From the document English Language arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (p.18): Research to Build and Present Knowledge 7.

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M6 Resource 1: Research Model Comparison

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M6 Resource 1: Research Model Comparison

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I appreciate how this website outlines a variety of Information Search and Inquiry Models and describes them. This would be a helpful resource to remember for the future, as I could use it when partnering with teachers to determine the best research model for a specific task.

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At the completion of this section, you should be able to:

Compare and contrast information inquiry models

Identify key topics in information literacy

Create an instructional analysis.

Begin by viewing the class presentation in Vimeo. Then, read each of the sections of this page.

Explore each of the following topics on this page:

To develop effective instruction, it's important to have a clear vision of the content being taught. As subject matter experts in the area of information, librarians are in a unique position. Our job is to help others understand the information inquiry process, how to conduct an information search, and how to use a wide range of resources. Teaching these information skills requires a detailed analysis of the content and processes that go into understanding and using information.

Information inquiry involves the processes of searching for information and applying information to answer questions we raise personally and questions that are addressed to us. Techniques for gaining meaningful information may involve reading, listening, viewing, observing, interviewing, surveying, testing and more.

Meaningful information application comes from analysis of information need, analysis of information gained, and synthesis of information to address the need in the most efficient and effective manner possible. The five interactive components of information inquiry are (Callison, 2006):

Questions in information inquiry may range from the most basic, factual reference questions to the most complex puzzles of life for which there are no answers. Questions tend be tied to one or more of three information environments: Personal, Academic, and Workplace.

Read!
Explore Graphic Inquiry.
This online workshop explores how graphics can be built into the information inquiry process. It also provides a great example to explore. If you want to learn more, read the book Graphic Inquiry by Annette Lamb and Daniel Callison (2012).

Many educators view information inquiry as the foundation of all "traditional content areas." Rather than focusing on individual skills, teachers prefer to use a problem-solving or inquiry-based approach to the process of working with information and creating communications. Others focus on a subset of skills and call these study or research skills.

A Brief History of Information Inquiry Models

Researchers and practitioners have designed models to illustrate how teachers and learners act in information inquiry situations. Other models have been developed for processes such as the scientific process, thinking, and writing.

During the 1980s educators and librarians experienced a surge of interest in information skills. At the peak of the HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills) movement, educators were finding that a process approach to information inquiry could be found across disciplines.

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, informational skills became a focus of many researchers. Much of this research was shared at the annual Treasure Mountain Research Retreats.

In the 1990s, the models began to stress the ongoing cycle of inquiry. Rather than a series of discrete steps, educators began to see the process as involving recursive elements and ongoing questioning, exploration, and investigation.

Linear vs Recursive Approaches

Information literacy models generally lead users through a series of steps while conducting research. These models are useful in scaffolding the activities of novice information seekers. Some researchers have criticized these approaches because of their linear nature and lack of opportunity for spontaneity. However recent studies show that these models do provide for recursive elements and chances for flexibility.

According to Sandy L. Guild (2003) in Curriculum Connections through the Library edited by Stripling and Hughes-Hassell, "recursion, or this repeated application of a research procedure to the results of a prior procedure, is invoked any time the research determines that the emerging complex of relationships has undeveloped area, logical errors, or incongruities" (p. 141). Unfortunately, when educators teach about the research process it's often "presented in a fashion that leads students to assume that the process is linear" (p 142). In the "real world" research is messy. Students often revisit steps over and over again.

In the blog The Bottom of the Pile (2009), Pam Meiser discusses the importance of recursion in learning. She encourages students to think aloud about their process. However she didn't always take this approach. In the past, she used a linear process but found that students were frustrated by the real-world of research,

"a student may have started an animal report on a koala. He wrote down some questions, found sources, and took notes. Then, when that student and I sat down to talk about and organize the notes, I found that he had written the word "marsupial" many times, but had no idea what it meant. I sent that student back to his sources to find the answer. He didn't even know enough about the subject to have written "What is a marsupial?" as one of his original research questions. Nor did he realize that not knowing what a marsupial was, would probably inhibit his understanding of many aspects of the koala."

"What I should have done, and will do in the future, is to include this self talk or think alouds to the research process. I should have explained to the student that it's normal to have to go back and look for more information about your topic, even after you've "completed" your research. I am also going to look, or create, visual models of research that show a more circular or recursive process. I have often seen models for the writing process that are more circular."

Read!

Read Modeling Recursion in Research Process Instruction by Sandy L. Guild.
How does the idea of recursion fit into specific information instruction topics across educational situation?

According to Erdelez, Basic, and Levitov (2011), "information encountering (finding information while searching for some other information), is a type of opportunistic discovery of information that complements purposeful approaches to finding information. Erdelez, Basic, and Levitov (2011) found that none of the information literacy models they studied make explicit reference to information encountering, however all of the models could accommodate this type of information experience.

Teaching and Inquiry Models

Most educators agree that teaching information literacy as a process is the best approach to addressing the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

It's helpful if a library or school can agree on a single model or at least the general steps in information inquiry. This way, the librarians and content-area faculty can all be using the same vocabulary with students. It's also helpful for students to see that information inquiry crosses the entire curriculum. Rather than forming a special committee, the librarian might work through the district curriculum committees or university departments to address this issue.

Try It!
We've done a comparison of many of these information processing or information inquiry models using Inspiration. This comparison is available in PDF format. Also, check out Katie Baker's comparison.
Explore the various models, then create your own chart. Use this to think about your own original model for the inquiry process.

How successful are instructional librarians in preparing their students? It depends on the program and approach. It's important to conduct research to determine whether the chosen model or approach is effective.

This page explores the most popular information inquiry models. Many of these websites contain examples and sample projects. The resources will guide you to resources designed for teachers and links for students.

5-As by Jukes

Ian Jukes focuses on the 5 As of information processing. These include:

8Ws of Information Inquiry

Children don't just "do" information, technology, and Internet. An inquiry or project-based learning environment involves wondering about a topic, wiggling through information, and weaving elements together. Each student learns and expresses themselves in a unique way.

This model was developed by Annette Lamb in the early 1990s. It was published in the book Surfin' the Web: Project Ideas from A to Z by Annette Lamb, Larry Johnson, and Nancy Smith in 1997 and in an article called Wondering, Wiggling, and Weaving: A New Model for Project and Community Based Learning on the Web.

Read!

Read Wondering, Wiggling, and Weaving: A New Model for Project and Community Based Learning on the Web by Annette Lamb, Larry Johnson, and Nancy Smith (Learning and Leading With Technology, 1997, 24(7), 6-13.

Alliteration was used to stimulate student interest and focus on the student's perspective. You're probably familiar with the 5Ws (who, what, when, where, and why), here are 8 new ones. You can view a print version of the 8Ws model using the PDF file.

Explore each of the 8W's. Click on the link for each of the Ws below to read about about this aspect of inquiry.

Wondering (Questioning) focuses on brainstorming options, discussing ideas, identifying problems, and developing questions.

Wishing (Assessing) is assessing, evaluating, and reflecting on the process and product. Students begin thinking about how the project went and consider possibilities for the future.

Big6™ by Eisenberg and Berkowitz

Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz have been promoting their approaches to information processing for nearly 20 years.

The Big 6 is an information problem-solving approach developed by Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. It is the most popular model for information skills. It includes the following steps:

Although presented in steps, Eisenberg and Berkowitz stress that the model doesn't need to be linear and allows for recursive loops.

Try It!
Explore the The Big 6 website. The Big 6 model focuses on problem-solving across the curriculum. The website provides background information and lots of lesson and activity ideas. Go to the Overview to see the steps in detail.
Notice how the website provides a wealth of information for librarians implementing this approach.

Watch!
View Big 6 Introduction (1:00).
Bob Berkowitz provides an introduction to the Big 6 information problem-solving process.

Use of this video clip complies with the TEACH act and US copyright law. You should be a registered student to view the video.

Read!

Read The Big Six Information Skills As a Metacognitive Scaffold: A Case Study by Sara Wolf, Thomas Brush, and John Saye. ( SLMR, 6, 2003).

Building Blocks of Research

Debbie Abilock states that "information literacy is a transformational process in which the learner needs to find, understand, evaluate, and use information in various forms to create for personal, social or global purposes."

Abilock's model focuses on a set of core thinking and problem-solving meta-skills across disciplines. The model includes the following steps:

In her website, Abilock provides resources to go with the Building Blocks of Research.

DIALOGUE by InfoOhio

The DIALOGUE model (1998) involves the following areas that spell DIALOGUE:

Evidence-Based Medicine

The process of evidence-based medicine including the following steps:

To learn more about the steps of EBM, go to the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine website.

FLIP IT! by Yucht

Created by Alice H. Yucht, this decision-making framework can be used for both personal and professional information processing needs. FLIP IT focuses on four strategic markers. These include:

Explore the FLIP IT! guide at Alice in InfoLand. Browse the resources on FLIP IT! It includes resources and teaching materials.

Information Literacy Cycle

The Information Literacy Cycle developed by the NHS Education for Scotland is geared toward health care professionals. It contains seven phases:

To learn more, go to Information Literacy Cycle. Be sure to check out their scenarios.

Information Search Process (ISP) by Kuhlthau

In the 1980s and early 1990s many information models were developed. The Information Search Process (ISP) by Carol Kuhlthau is unique because it is based on research specifically designed in this area. Studies from various disciplines, but particularly writing were used to support her model.

Kuhlthau observed the reactions of students, examined strategies such as journaling, case studies, interviewing, and tracked student progress. These observations make her approach to information inquiry particularly rich. Beyond the basic model, her research stresses the attitudinal and emotional aspects of the inquiry process. For instance, she talks about the importance of providing students with a "invitation to research" that encourages students to visualize the possibilities. She also discussed the "dip in confidence" experienced by learners as a natural part of inquiry.

The Information Search Process Model

Carol Kuhlthau's library research process was published in her 1985 book Teaching the Library Research Process which was updated in 1994. The process includes seven stages. Within each stage is a task, thoughts, feelings, actions, and strategies. An updated version of this process was renamed the Information Search Process (ISP). The process includes the following stages:

Initiating a Research Assignment
Feelings: apprehension, uncertainty

Selecting a Topic
Feelings: confusion, sometimes anxiety, brief elation, anticipation

Exploring Information
Feelings: confusion, uncertainty, doubt, sometimes threat

Formulating a Focus
Feelings: optimism, confidence in ability to complete task

Collecting Information
Feelings: realization of extensive work to be done, confidence in ability to complete task, increased interest

Preparing to Present
Feelings: sense of relief, sometimes satisfaction, sometimes disappointment

Assessing the Process
Feelings: sense of accomplishment or sense of disappointment

Feelings, Thoughts, Actions and the Uncertainty Principle

One of the most interesting aspects of Kuhlthau's work is her emphasis on the attitudes and behaviors of students during the process. She states that "in an ideal situation, students begin to search for information because they want to know more about something that is interesting or troubling. In such cases, the motivation to seek information arises naturally out of the person's own experience."

She finds that although students often start a project with enthusiasm and initial success, they often become confused and uncertain as they progress. Whether working on a class research project or simply using the library, she speculates that a substantial number of people give up after their initial search for information. According to Kuhlthau, "this dip in confidence seems to be a natural stage in the ISP. This Uncertainty Principle is expanded by six corollaries: process, formulation, redundancy, mood, prediction, and interest.

View a chart showing the connection between the stages of the information search process and student feelings, thoughts, and actions.

Kuhlthau finds that students go through a number of different feelings as they proceed through the stages including uncertainty, optimism, confusion, frustration, doubt, clarity, sense of direction, confidence, relief, and satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Their thoughts go from ambiguity to specificity and their interest increases. Their actions move from seeking relevant information to seeking pertinent information.

Zone of Intervention

Uncertainty is related to unclear thoughts about a topic or question. Teachers need to be aware of this uncertainty and be prepared to help students deal with their frustrations. The zone of intervention is the time when a user needs help to move ahead. Librarians need to identify this "teachable moment" and be prepared with learning materials to provide assistance. No matter how much experience students have with the process, they still experience uncertainty when faced with a new problem or task.

According to Kuhlthau "Intervention based on an uncertainty principle encompasses the holistic experience of using information from the perspective of the individual student."

She identified five zones of intervention with levels of mediation including organizer, locator, identified, advisor, and counselor. The levels indicate a need for a particular type of scaffolding to facilitate student work.

Process intervention strategies include collaborating, continuing, conversing, charting, and composing.

Read!

Read Students and the Information Search Process: Zones of Intervention for Librarians by C.C. Kuhlthau ( Advanced in Librarianship, Vol. 18, 1994).

Information Search Process in the Digital Age

Carol Kuhlthau's work transfers well into the digital age. By combining a constructivist approach to information age learning, she's expanded her thinking to include strategies for coaching students in the ISP in the following areas of collaborating, continuing, conversing, charting, and composing. According to Kuhlthau the constructive process of learning involves: acting and reflecting; feeling and formulated; predicting and choosing; interpreting and creating.

Read Information Search Process by C.C. Kuhlthau from Rutgers University.
Read Learning in Digital Libraries: An Information Search Process Approach by Carol Collier Kuhlthau ( Library Trends, Spring 1997, Vol 45, Issue 4, p708, 17p.) (IUPUI password required)

Information Skills Model by Irving

In 1985, Ann Irving discussed this idea of cross-curriculum connections in a book titled Study and Information Skills Across the Curriculum. She stated that the research process is an integral part of our everyday lives and it's directly linked to life-long learning. When we're sick, we seek medical information. When we're buying a product we look for a good buy.

Irving stressed a resource-based learning approach that emphasized addressing individual differences in teaching and learning style. She also emphasized the importance of students, teachers, and librarians collaborating toward this joint goal.

Although many other models came after Ann Irving, her Nine Step Information Skills Model continues to be used in schools. The steps include:

Information Seeking

Genealogy investigations are an excellent example of the need for information skills in everyday life. Many public libraries offer workshops to assist genealogists and family historians in their quest for information.

Skim Seeking Information, Seeking Connections, Seeking Meaning: Genealogists and Family Historians by Elizabeth Yakel. Notice the focus on adult learners.

I-SEARCH by Macrorie

I-Search is "an approach to research that uses the power of student interests, builds a personal understanding of the research process, and encourages stronger student writing" (Joyce & Tallman, vii). The key element of this approach is that students select topics of personal interest. This model also stresses metacognitive thinking. Students are asked to keep a log of their action, thoughts, and feelings as they move through the process. In addition, students are asked to reflect on their previous research experiences to set the stage for an appreciation of the research process.

Based on Ken Macrorie's 1988 book entitled, The I-Search Paper, I-Search proposes an alternative to the traditional research paper. Often used by middle and high school students, the inquiry-based approach can also be used with elementary or college students. According to Ken Macrorie, the key to I-Search is that students work on meaningful projects.

In the 1990's Marilyn Joyce and Julie Tallman adapted Macrorie's approach for use in the research process.

I-Search is a process that includes four general steps:

Selecting a topic - exploring interests, discussing ideas, browsing resources

Finding information - generating questions, exploring resources

Using information - taking notes, analyzing materials

Developing a final product - developing communications, sharing experiences

Pathways to Knowledge by Pappas and Tepe

The Pathways to Knowledge model sponsored by Follett was developed by Marjorie L. Pappas and Ann E. Tepe. Designed for children and young adults, the authors stress the importance of questioning and authentic learning. Their focus is on a nonlinear process for finding, using, and evaluating information.

In their book Pathways to Knowledge and Inquiry Learning (2002), Pappas and Tepe drew on the example of a fourth grade class in Kentucky that was concerned about the removal of a mountain top by a coal company. Working collaboratively, the classroom teacher and school library media specialist designed a learning experience to explore the issue. The project ultimately involved the students in testifying at legislative hearings and holding allies to promote public awareness of the issue. The children won the President's Environmental Youth Award for their project.

This nonlinear model was originally designed as a diagram rather than a series of steps. Students are encouraged to continuously explore and reassess as they process information.

The model includes the following stages:

Appreciation and Enjoyment
Examine the world.
"Individuals appreciate literature, the arts, nature and information in the world around them through varied and multiple formats, including stories, film, paintings, natural settings, music, books, periodicals, the Web, video, etc. Appreciation often fosters curiosity and imagination, which can be a prelude to a discovery phase in an information seeking activity. As learners proceed through the states of information seeking their appreciation grows and matures" (Pappas & Tepe, 2002, p.4)

Presearch
Develop an overview; explore relationships
"The Presearch stage enables searchers to make a connection between their topic and prior knowledge. They may begin by brainstorming a web or questions that focus on what they know about their topic and what they want to know. This process may require them to engage in exploratory searching through general sources to develop a broad overview of their topic and explore the relationships among subtopics. Presearch provides searchers with strategies to narrow their focus and develop specific questions or define information needs." (Pappas & Tepe, 2002, p.6)

Search
Identify information providers; select information resources; seek relevant information
"During the Search stage, searchers identify appropriate information providers, resources and tools, then plan and implement a search strategy to find information relevant to their research question or information need. Searchers are open to using print and electronic tools and resources, cooperative searching and interacting with experts." (Pappas & Tepe, 2002, p.8)

Interpretation
Interpret information
"Information requires interpretation to become knowledge. The Interpretation stage engages searchers in the process of analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating information to determine its relevancy and usefulness to their research question or information need. Throughout this stage searchers reflect on the information they have gathered and construct personal meaning." (Pappas & Tepe, 2002, p.16)

Communication
Apply information; share new knowledge
"The Communication stage allows searchers to organize, apply, and present new knowledge relevant to their research questions or information need. They choose a format that appropriately reflects the new knowledge they need to convey, then plan and create their product." (Pappas & Tepe, 2002, p.19)

Evaluation
Evaluate process and product
"Evaluation (self and peer) is ongoing in their nonlinear information process model and should occur throughout each stage. Searchers use their evaluation of the process to make revisions that enable them to develop their own unique information seeking process. It is through this continuous evaluation and revision process that searchers develop the ability to become independent searchers. Searchers also evaluate their product or the results of their communication of new knowledge." (Pappas & Tepe, 2002, p. 21)

Pre-Search by Rankins

Virginia Rankin's book titled The Thoughtful Researcher: Teaching the Research Process to Middle School Students (Libraries Unlimited, 1999) continues to be popular with school library media specialists.

Virginia Rankin is best known for her approach to the Pre-search Process focusing on building a solid foundation prior to materials exploration. Rankin identified a number of effective pre-search strategies such as:

Developing quality questions can be difficult for students. Rankin (1999, p. 31) recommends the following criteria for evaluating research questions:

based on knowledge of the topic

focus not too broad or too narrow

interesting to researcher

potentially interesting to others

feasible resources available to answer questions

Rankin has also identified a series of steps in the research process:

Rankin (1992) stresses the importance of student assessment. Below is her criteria for judging student's pre-searches.

1. Information from four different sources, with a bulk of the information not from a single source

2. Four bibliography cards

3. Note cards keyed to all four sources

4. Notes help answer researcher's questions (no irrelevant information)

5. Adequate information for all three questions

6. Notes summarized

7. Notes in own words

8. One idea per note card

9. Sufficient quantity (15-50 note cards)

10. No glaring inaccuracies; double-check facts, especially numbers

Read!

Read Pre-search by Virginia Rankin in School Library Journal (March 1992, 38(3), 168).
Consider the importance of a learner-centered approach to the inquiry process.

View Student-Generated Topics (0:30).

Virginia Rankin discusses the importance of student-generated topics and questions. - Excerpt from "The Pre-search"

Use of this video clip complies with the TEACH act and US copyright law. You should be a registered student to view the video.

REACTS by Stripling and Pitts

The late 1980s was a time when many librarians and educators were discussing the importance of information skills. Barbara Stripling and Judy Pitts focused their attention on the need for high level thinking in the research process. It became known as the Stripling and Pitts Research Process Model or REACTS.

The REACTS Taxonomy developed by Barbara Stripling and Judy Pitts focuses on critical thinking in the research process. This model focuses on strategies for ensuring high level thinking and resulting quality products. If students research at a low level, they're likely to react at a low level. In other words, if students spend their time collecting facts, they'll probably create a low-level recall-type report. However if they spend their time in the research process integrating, concluding, and conceptualizing, then their final product will be reflect transformation and synthesis of information.

The REACTS Taxonomy includes the following elements:

Research Assistant by Bevilacqua

In the early 1990s, Ann Bevilacqua developed the first computer-based instruction to assist with the research process. The software tool helped guide students through the process of conducting research.

The ten steps in her process included:

Research Cycle by McKenzie

The Research Cycle by Jamie McKenzie was first developed in 1995 to meet the needs of students working on essential questions for school research. The model places emphasis on questioning and rejects many of the model that focus on topical research. His model requires students to make decisions, create answers, and show independent judgment. Another feature of this model is its focus on actively revising and rethinking the research questions throughout the process. With an emphasis on problem-solving and decision-making, the model encourages a recursive approach rather than a linear approach.

McKenzie (2000) stresses the importance of students as information producers rather than simply information gatherers. Students move repeatedly through the following steps in the research cycle:

Read!

Read Research Cycle 2000 by Jamie McKenzie at FromNowOn to learn more about this model that involves questioning, planning, gathering, sorting & sifting, synthesizing, evaluating, and reporting as part of a cycle.

Research Process Model by Stripling and Pitts

The Research Process by Stripling and Pitts was developed to guide research assignments in the K-12 environment. Their emphasis on thinking and reflecting is intended to encourage deep thinking.

The ten step process includes:

choose a broad topic

get an overview of the topic

narrow the topic

develop a thesis or statement of purpose

formulate questions to guide research

plan for research and production

find, analyze and evaluate sources

evaluate evidence, take notes and compile a bibliography

establish conclusions and organize information into an outline

and create and present a final product

Research Process Helper (4-Step Research Model) by Hughes

A four-step research process is provided for elementary students in a gifted and talented classroom and for middle school students. Students work on the preparation steps, which include using a task definition chart and webbing tools, and accessing information where generic and school-specific information is found. Next, the process provides excellent ideas on processing information and the final step of transferring the information to others. This thoughtfully developed site can serve as a model for many activities crafted jointly between the teacher-librarian and the content-area teacher.

The Research Helper involves on a four step research process:

To see the process, visit the Research Helper website.

Scientific Method

The basic definition of the Scientific Method includes these steps:

observation and description of a phenomenon

formulation of a hypothesis to explain the phenomena

use of the hypothesis to predict existence of other phenomena

performance of experimental tests of the prediction and inferring a conclusion

some include a fifth step of presenting, debating and/or application of findings

The inquiry process gives heavy emphasis to development of questions at each step.

What questions come from observation?

What questions are relevant to the hypothesis?

What questions formulate the prediction?

What questions are answered from the test of the prediction and what questions, new and old, remain unanswered in part or in full?

The process of Information Inquiry involves application of the ancient Socratic Method of teaching through self-posed and mentor-posed questions in order to gain meaning in today's overwhelming Information Age. Further application of the Scientific Method gives a systematic structure to this process. It places students and teachers in the role of Information Scientists. This analogy will be explored as one that may open new paths for students and teachers to investigate not only phenomenon identified from typical subjects of study, but to also test and predict the value, relevance and meaning of information itself. As "information scientists" should the learner be expected to journal, debate, compare, and present his or her observations on the value of the information encountered and the need for information that may not be available or possible to obtain?

After visiting an area farm, students became fascinated with how farmers grow and sell their crops. How do they decide what to grow? Why do they rotate crops? When do they plant? How do they decide when to sell? What factors impact the price of crops?

One student information scientist traced the Chicago Board of Trade corn prices over a week and graphed the results. See the graphics below: one in marker and the other computer-generated.

Explore the steps of the scientific method:

Observe - Watching carefully, taking notes, comparing and contrasting

Question - Asking questions about observations, asking questions that lead to manageable investigations, evaluating and prioritizing questions

Hypothesize - Suggesting possible explanations consistent with available observations

Predict - Suggest an event or result in the future based on analysis of observations

Communicate - Informing others through means of communications relevant to the conclusions and the audience addressed

Super 3™ by Eisenberg and Berkowitz

Although The Big 6 only includes six steps, some primary teachers find it overwhelming for their young learners. As a result, teachers have developed modified versions to meet their needs. Eisenberg and Berkowitz have developed a version called the Super 3 for very young children. It includes three steps:

Explore the Super 3 page. Compare this approach to the Big6 model.

WebQuest

WebQuests provide an authentic, technology-rich environment for problem solving, information processing, and collaboration. This inquiry-based approach to learning involves students in a wide range of activities that make good use of Internet-based resources.

Bernie Dodge developed the WebQuest concept back in the mid 1990s. His resources can be found at WebQuest.org.

Dodge's model is similar to other information inquiry models. Critical attributes of a WebQuest include:

an introduction that sets the stage of the activity

a doable, interesting task

a set of information resources

a clear process

guidance and organizational frameworks

a conclusion that provides reflection and closure.

Try It!

Complete WebQuests, the free, online workshop from Educational Broadcasting Corporation.

Skim Internet Expeditions: Exploring, Using, Adapting, and Creating WebQuests by Annette Lamb to learn more about this approach.

The librarian plays an important role in working with faculty to design effective activities that help students acquire and apply subject area knowledge as well as essential inquiry skills.

This words and images above represent just a few of the key topics associated with information literacy. Explore the course website for information about each topic.

Let's explore as series of topics that are often part of the information literacy curriculum:

Analysis

Analysis emphasizes the breakdown of the materials into its constituents or related parts and of the way those part may be organized and relevant to each other. Analysis also may be directed at the techniques and devices used to convey the meaning or to establish the conclusion of a communication.

Identifying similarities and differences is an example of breaking down ideas and finding common underlying structures.

Callison (2006, 275) states that students "use analysis skills to critically review a document written by someone else or a task presented to the student to determine the merits of the elements or options." Student determine the meaning of arguments and the quality of their construction. He states that activities that require analysis include:

distinguish fact from hypothesis in a communication

identify conclusions and supporting statements

distinguish relevant form extraneous material

note how one idea relates to another

see what unstated assumptions are involved in what is said

distinguish dominant from subordinate ideas or themes

When students analyze documents for informational elements, Callison (2006, 276) notes that they must look at authority, source, context, and method. When students analyze documents for relationships, they must distinguish fact from opinion, relevant from irrelevant, and causal relationships.

Audience Analysis

Audience analysis involves the processes of gathering and interpreting information about the recipients of oral, written, or visual communication. Audience awareness involve the conceptions of the writer, speaker, or performer concerning the recipients of his or her communication. Regardless of whether the author is sharing an oral history, debating an issue, or writing an editorial, the writer or speaker must be aware of the needs, interests, and expectations of his or her audience.

Callison and Lamb (2006) suggest that students need to learn how to analyze their audience and design communications to fit the needs of their audience. Students might be asked to communicate with learners from another culture or write a letter to a government official.

Authority

Information scientists use authority when judging information.

Bias

Bias is a prejudice generally associated with preference for a particular point of view or perspective. Novice researchers need opportunities to consider a wide spectrum of resources in order to gain experiences identifying bias. It is possible to find some level of bias in all forms of communication.

When judging information, bias is one of the most challenging criteria. While eliminating bias is often viewed as an important skill, understanding the reasons for and implications of bias is equally important. Bias determines the information selected and valued, so it understanding its nature is critical to becoming information fluent.

Callison (2006) noted many terms associated with bias including:

Selective Thinking

Communal Reinforcement

Ad Hoc Hypothesis

Wishing Thinking

Stereotype

Hidden Bias

Propaganda

Conventional Wisdom

Group-Think

Rozakis (2004) identified three forms of bias:

Bogus claim. A claim can be considered false when the speaker or writer promises more than he or she can deliver

Loaded term. A term is loaded when it carried more emotional impact than its context can really support.

Misrepresentation of fact. Such may involve wrong data, false data, and over-simplification of fact.

Carroll (2003) identified "confirmation bias" as a type of selective thinking where one confirms ones own beliefs and ignoring other perspectives.

According to Callison (2006), students need to be able to detect bias in the media. He suggests looking for the following elements:

Temporal bias - bias toward immediate, new events, and popular figures

Bad News bias - bias toward the negative

Visual bias - bias toward only showing quick visual depictions

Narrative bias - bias toward creating conflict when there is none

Balance bias - bias toward a balanced view or giving equal time

Fitzgerald (1999) suggests that students need to overcome "belief perseverance" that she described as "a person's refusal or inability to relinquish a belief despite new information discrediting it."

Concept Maps

Concept mapping is a heuristic device that has proven to be useful in helping learners to visualize the relationships or connections between and among ideas. Of equal usefulness, mapping of term relationships helps to demonstrate to the teacher what the learner is constructing or assimilating. Thus, while mapping is a method to organize the pieces taken from a new piece of information (article, chapter, lecture, etc.), it presents a visual for the learner and teacher to further discuss the merits of what the learner believes to be the new knowledge gained.

Authentic problems are ill-structured, require students to address conflicting information, and may conclude with many possible solutions. Students must learn to gather and evaluate evidence from many sources and weight possible conclusions. Concept maps work well to help students organize and analyze their resources and thinking. An interesting way to introduce this type of activity is in the form of a mystery. Why is the eagle on the Great Seal of the United States? What words are on the Great Seal and how were they chosen? The students began with two "comfort sources": the print encyclopedia and the Enchanted Learning website. These sources were easy-to-read and provided background information about the Great Seal. As a class, students identified the features of the Great Seal and the many places it is found in U.S. government materials. Each child selected a mystery they wanted to investigate associated with the seal. Students were asked to pay careful attention to the different perspectives represented by websites providing information about this mystery.

The example shown above ( Click to enlarge the image) addresses the question of why the eagle in the Great Seal is depicted holding arrows. A concept map was used to organize findings using various website resources found when using their favorite search engine, Google. Two categories were identified: those who felt the arrows meant war and those that thought they depicted unity. Inspiration was used to create the concept map. This software allows students to make hyperlinks to the resources used in their project. They can also take notes and incorporate graphics. In this case, the student used three icons to identify those website resources they felt exhibited clear bias, were from well-known authoritative sources, or were unable to evaluate for quality. The students found conflicting information and were successful in organizing and evaluating the quality of information. As they added each idea, they were able to gain a better understanding of the events and ideas that lead to the choice of the bundle of arrows. The concept map served as a tool for sharing their findings with their peers. In addition, it provided a quick way to cite and access the website resources used in the project.

Although flipchart paper and markers can be very effective for producing and displaying concept maps, technology tools such as Inspiration and Kidspiration have enhanced the tools available for the production of concept maps. These tools allow creators to easily manipulate, revise, and expand maps without worried about penmanship or erasing. In addition, hyperlinks, photographs, audio, and video can easily be added to address learning styles and facilitate differentiation. Templates and lesson plan ideas are available to assist teachers as they plan for the use of concept maps in learning.

Callison (2006, 330) described the advantages of concept mapping during inquiry:

Helps to define the central idea and give it perspective.

Helps visualize relationships and subset.

Key or essential concepts emerge and become trigger words or phrases that are remembered, and later will serve to help the learner recall the minor or detailed points that emerge from these major ones

Gaps will become apparent, which will lead to new questions that will guide what to read net or lead to new questions.

Evaluation

Students need to be able to evaluate information.

Taylor (2012) studied the information seeking activities of member of the millennial generation. He found that individuals born between 1982 and 2000 have information searching skills, but resist the use of objective information evaluation standards when filtering information.

Gross and Latham (2011) found that information quality was not a concern among college students. In addition, most were unaware of objective measures for evaluating information.

In Source evaluation and information literacy: findings from a study on science websites, Bird, McInerney, and Mohr (2010, 185) studied users' judgments about web sources. They found that instruction "should emphasize understanding authorship cues, purpose of a site, and currency."

Go to the Deconstruction Gallery at the Media Literacy Project. Then, go to FactCheck.org from Annenberg. Both of these sites asks viewers to critically evaluate information.

Evidence

Although young people aren't expected to be lawyers, they should be able to identify, organize, and cite evidence. Evidence is information that can be used to demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Student investigators can test information and seek verification, second opinions, and validation of content by checking credentials, publishers and impressions from his peers (fellow students) and mentors (instructional media specialists).

According to Callison (2006, 369), students need to be able to "test information by seeking verification, second opinions, and validation of content by checking credentials, publishers and impressions from his peers (fellow students) and mentors (instructional media specialists)."

Callison (2006, 373-375) identified the "Capital Cs to Challenge Evidence":

Common

Conventional Wisdom

Circumstantial

Cherry Picked

Comforts

Chains or Connects

Counters, Convincing, and Changes

Credible

Critical or Counts Highly

Creative

Controversial

Copy, but give Credit

Classic

Convey and Communicates

Council and Confidence

Continues

Barbara Stripling has written one of the most comprehensive and convincing essays on the relationships among inquiry-based learning, information literacy and k-12 curriculum. Among a rich list of curricular ties, she offers these examples that illustrate how teaching inquiry involves applications at different grade levels with the instructional media specialists working collaboratively to facilitate a progressive scaffolding of investigative experiences from elementary to secondary school (2003, page 26).

"Evaluation of sources is critical to inquiry in social studies because of the interpretative nature of the discipline. Students should assess the value of a source before they even look at the specific information within the source. If teachers and librarians have selected the source, then they should share their thinking process with students. The criteria that need to be emphasized (at age-appropriate times) are authoritativeness of the author/publisher; comprehensiveness of the information (students are seeking in-depth information, not collections of superficial facts); organization and clarity of the text (students need to be able to find and comprehend relevant information without getting lost in extraneous links or subtopics); and quality of the references (the sources of the cited evidence) [and further understand our quality citations can lead to additional relevant evidence]. Obviously, in the age of the Internet, responsibility for evaluation of sources has largely shifted from librarians to students. Careful instruction and guidance must accompany that shift.

Evaluation of specific information and evidence is also a key thinking strategy for inquiry in social studies. Librarians and classroom teachers probably want to emphasize discernment of fact versus opinion and help students understand how each can be used effectively. Students, particularly as the secondary level, must learn how to identify point of view and recognize its effect on the evidence. Their responsibility is to find enough evidence from different points of view that they [may consider] ... a balanced perspective. Sources that present opposing viewpoints are helpful to provide that [attempted] balance of evidence. Secondary students must also be taught to detect degrees of bias (from slightly slanted point of view to heavily slanted propaganda)."

Factcheck.org - explore evidence related to topics in the news and current issues.

Trusttheevidence.net - explores the truth behind the research findings that affect everyday healthcare

Figurative Language

Figurative language can bring any topic alive for students. It provides the reader or listener with a mental image of an idea or comparison. For this reason, it's one of the most popular teaching and motivation tools. For example, a science teacher might demonstrate how the heart is like a pump. A librarian might compare looking for information on the Internet to searching for a needle in a haystack.

Analogies, metaphors, and similes are three types of figurative language that can easily be integrated into the learning environment. Other examples include alliteration, cliche, hyperbole, image, or personification,

Analogy. An analogy involves comparing two things that contain some similarities, then broadening the comparison through logical inference.

Teachers often use analogies to assist students in inquiry-based learning activities. For example, an analogy may provide inspiration for an investigation or a context for learning. Students may be asked how a cell is like their school or photosynthesis is like making pizza.

According to Callison (p. 101), "an instructional analogy is an explicit, nonliteral comparison between two objects, or sets of objects, that describes their structural, functional, and causal similarities".

Explore Private Eye. This project explores the use of analogy, changing scale, and theorizing in learning.

Metaphor. A metaphor is comparing two things by using a word or phrase in a way that it's not normally used to visualize an idea.

Simile. A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things using the words like or as.

Explore 42eXplore: Figurative Language to explore additional terms, definitions, examples, and resources.

Hypothesis Testing

The ability to ask questions and generate hypotheses is an important information skills.

Idea Strategies

Ideas help us to move forward, to explore, and to frame questions that are meaningful to us and hopefully to others. Idea strategies are methods that help the learner both comprehend and communicate their thoughts.

In Idea Strategies, Callison (2006) states that maturing information students need help with the complexities of the communication process. He recommends providing students with help in getting started, framing questions, processing information, and writing communications.

Berke and Woodland (1996) suggest thought started to ask the right questions. A few examples are shown below:

Definition - What does X mean?

Description - What are the different features of X?

Simple Analysis - What are the component parts of X?

Process Analysis - How is X made or done?

Harvey and Goudvis (2000) suggest strategies for helping students extract ideas from text:

Text-to-Self - How is the text connected to your life?

Text-to-Text - How is the information connected to previous things you've read or watched?

Text-to-World - How is the text connected to the outside world including events, people, or issues?

The Purdue Online Writing Lab ( OWL) weaves idea strategies throughout its tutorials to help students in everything from identifying topics to processing information and developing communications.

Information Search Strategies

Information search strategies are a systemic way to accomplish the task of finding information and includes defining the information need, determining the form in which it is needed, if it exists, where it is located, how it is organized, and how it retrieve it.

According to Callison (2006, 401-402), information search strategies have evolved over the past thirty years from orientation to sources and services to awareness of key literature to a focus on critical thinking and problem-solving to an emphasis on inquiry as a process.

Search tactics are an important way for students to refine their search. Callison (2006, 403-404) stresses that the student "must gain an understanding of not only how to employ the tactics, but when and why to apply them." Examples include:

Bubble - look for a bibliography already prepared; to see if the search work one plans has already been done in a usable form by someone else; to examine the bibliography of a valued source and select key reference leads.

Record - keep track of trails on has followed and of desirable trails not followed up on or not completed.

Brainstorming - getting ideas and considering alternative ideas to enrich understanding

Consulting - testing ideas with others

Rescuing - be persistent and thorough in order to prevent premature conclusions

Wandering - browsing in a variety of resources to inspire the imagination and ignite thinking

Breaching - considering a different subject area or domain

Reframing - reexamining the question to get rid of distortions or erroneous assumptions

Jolting - changing the point of view by looking at the question as it has been addressed by different groups

Focusing - narrowing the search or the concept

Dilating - expanding the search to widen the focus

Neighboring - cluster terms to be located within the text

Reflection - stopping at several points in order to determine what else might come to mind

Parallel - to make the search formulation broad or broader by including synonyms or otherwise conceptually parallel terms

Contrary - to search for a term logically opposite from the describing the desired information

Tracing - using the subject tracings that tag relevant citation hits during searching

Linkages - from the best sources locate and read, identify what may be especially valuable

Interview

The interview is a valuable tool used in the inquiry process to gain primary information that will help clarify and add meaning.

According to Callison (2006, 407-410), the mature information literate student will use the personal interview to verify evidence from written sources, add color and story, and extend a line of inquiry. Callison suggests the following approaches for oral history interviews:

Information interviewee in advance

Gain permission

Learn to use the equipment prior to the interview

Use quality recording medium

Do a pre-interview

Be on time

Record the name, date, and location

Keep the interview to 30 minutes

Stay away from noisy areas

Use personal photographs to jog memories

Keep questions short and let the interviewee tell the story

Edit the interviews

Check the name and address of the interviewee

Send a thank you

Design an event to highlight the project

Note-taking

Taking notes is an important activity through inquiry. Note-taking is the process of writing pieces of information that can later be reviewed. However it's much more than learning to make outlines or properly record information. A large part of note-taking is the selecting of essential information.

The introduction of Post-it notes has provided note-takers with an easy way to organize, then rearrange their notes.

Callison (2006) suggests a number of principles for selection of information and transfer to notes:

Be very selective of information for capture.

Be certain to capture and transfer the URL if using the web.

Capture information from the document that shows how authoritative, bias and/or current the information is.

Create subtopics for topic organization and paraphrase key ideas and terms

Markup pages using printouts or one of the the many online note tools.

Follow copyright guidelines

Paraphrase so information is ready to use and doesn't plagiarize.

Note full bibliographic information.

According to Callison (2006) as the notetaker's quest becomes more focused, the inquirer begins to locate specific pieces of information such as:

data from text, charts, and tables which are relevant to the situation and may help prove a point

data which are relevant to the situation and may help disprove or counter a point, proposal, or plan.

key facts, especially not commonly known

key names associated with issues, events, happenings and their role

key terms and definitions, especially if not know prior to this research effort

opinions and observations of experts; any of these first three can be the basis for information becoming evidence

events or happenings which illustrate, give context, provide an example case relevant to the topic

a chain of sources which give support to the need to show similar evidence from more than one or two sources; pieces which substantiate previous information

an item which fills in a gap may be unique data or a difference observation then found anyplace else

information which is either more current than previous information, or provides historical context for chronological comparison of information

above all, the information item is relevant, authoritative, and understandable and will help clarify issues, events and appending that must be described in final report or presentation

To learn more, go to The Digital Dog Ate My Notes: Tools and Strategies for 21st Century Research by Annette Lamb.

Oral History

Oral history is an account conveyed by word of mouth. An oral history project may involve recording and sharing recollections of events in a person's life and how those activities impacted themselves and others. These interviews may be transcribed and shared in a written, audio, or video format.

Organizers

Organizers are tools or techniques that provide identification and classification along with possible relationships or connections among ideas, concepts, and issues.

From listing prior knowledge to classifying ideas, organizers can be used throughout the inquiry process.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism involves claiming another author's work as your own. Although plagiarism can occur unintentionally when a writer forgets to include quotation marks or a citation, it is most often viewed as academic dishonesty.

According to Callison (2006, 470), a mature student information scientist knows that giving credit is not only the right thing to do, but also strengthens a communication.

Primary Resources

Primary sources are original objects or records that have survived the past. Some times referred to as "raw history," they represent a direct personal experience of a specific time in the past. Primary sources are artifacts such as official documents (birth certificates, marriage licenses, and property contracts), journals (diaries and letters), clothing, toys, tools, visuals (sketches, painting, and photographs), and more.

Barbara Stripling has written one of the most comprehensive and convincing essays on the relationships among inquiry-based learning, information literacy and k-12 curriculum. She states that "Use of primary sources is an important component of inquiry in social studies. Students must be taught to observe and draw valid interpretations from artifacts, ephemera, images, maps, and personal accounts. Student must be taught to interpret the primary sources in light of its context (e.g., a soldier writing a letter about a recent skirmish may think it the bloodiest battle of the war because he was injured; a photographer shooting a peace march from a low angle may convey a huge crowd, while an overhead shot might show a small crowd with empty streets behind it). Because so many sources are being digitized, students have more access to primary sources than they have ever had before [and the amount available online will grow tremendously over the coming years]. Primary sources may be particularly exciting to elementary students who have limited background knowledge. They, therefore, need scaffolding to foster the validity of their interpretations" (2003, page 26).

Frances Jacobson Harris has demonstrated how challenging it is to manage visual and artifact interpretation skills of middle grade students.

To learn more, read Awakening and building upon prior knowledge by Kristin Fontichiaro.

To learn more, explore the Teacher Resources from the Library of Congress.

Explore escrapbooking.com to learn more about using primary sources in classrooms and libraries.

Story

Teachers and students love stories. They can bring dry content alive! Allegories and fables use characters or events to represent ideas or principles in a story.

Explore DigiTales: The Art of Telling Digital Stores.

A story that uses fictional characters, problems, and ideas to illustrate a factual situation is called an allegory.

Go to Bhutan, the Last Shangri-La: Buddhism and Ecology. Lesson with allegory.

Synthesis

Synthesis is the fusion of separate elements or substances to form a coherent whole. In research, synthesis is the combination of thesis and antithesis in the dialectical process, producing a new and higher form of being (Callison, 2006).

Synthesis is not just the act of summarizing, paraphrasing or abstracting information from a document.

Synthesis should also include extracting inferences that link selected findings together in a logical and meaningful pattern. Questions might include (Callison, 2006),

Based on opinions voiced by members of the group, what should be the steps to be taken next?

Based on the analysis of your observations, what do you predict will happen next?

Given the basic background necessary and an understanding of the relationship among characters, how would you rewrite this act?

Questioning

An essential information age skill, questioning can turn a boring assignment into an exciting project.

Jamie McKenzie has identified and created many helpful resources for stimulating student thinking and questioning.

Explore Questioning.org. Explore his resources and articles for ideas on incorporating questioning into your projects. Look for strategies on questions and questioning.

Whether answering simple reference questions or helping students with complex research projects, questioning is an important tool for the library media specialist.

The poster on the right comes from an elementary classroom. It reminds students to always ask questions.

To learn more, read Developing Questions and a Sense of Wonder by Kristin Fontichiaro in School Library Monthly (October 2010).

Try It!
Select one of the information literacy topics discussed. Investigate the instructional needs related to this topic. Are there standards connected to this topic? Write an instructional goal that would address a specific instructional need.

After identifying your instructional goal and your information skill content focus, you're ready to begin the process of instructional analysis. Instructional analysis is used to identify the skills learners need to achieve the stated instructional goal. Ideally, this analysis would include everything needed to achieve the goal without omission, but also without superfluous skills.

Instruction analysis involves identifying relevant subordinate skills or steps in a procedure that are required for a student to achieve the goal. A subordinate skills is a skill that, while perhaps not important in and of itself as learning outcome, must be acquired in order to learn "subordinate" skills. Remember the old adage, you must be able to walk before you run. Or, you must be able to identify "straight flushes" and "full houses" before you can apply the rule that a "straight flush beats a full house."

Types of Learning

The instructional analysis approach you use is directly related to the type of learning represented by the instructional goal. For example, a procedural analysis is normally used with psychomotor skills and a hierarchical analysis is often used with intellectual skills.

The hierarchical approach to instructional analysis identifies all the skills relevant to the goal and their relationship. The instructional goal appears at the top and subordinate skills are arranged below the goal. These subordinate skills are connected by lines to show relationships between various skills. Instruction on skills is then sequenced from the bottom to the top. Verbal information and attitudinal skills are often attached horizontally. See the diagram above.

The procedural approach to instructional analysis is used for psychomotor goals. The purpose of a procedural approach is to identify the steps a person performs in accomplishing the goal. In addition, it clearly defines the sequence of these steps. Steps are arranged in sequential order below the goal and connected by lines. See the diagram above. Although the procedures are normally laid out left to right, you can create a diagram in a format that meets your needs. Explore the Downloading e-books example. Notice that it goes from the top to the bottom of the page.

The cluster approach to instructional analysis is used for verbal information goals. The cluster approach is used to identify all the information needed to achieve the goal. Information may be diagrammed as hierarchy or in an outline form. See the diagram above.

Complex goals that contain components from two or more learning domains require the use of a combination approach to instructional analysis. Steps in a procedure are identified and the subordinate skills of the steps are shown as hierarchies below the particular step. Verbal information supporting an intellectual skill is attached to it with a horizontal line connecting the vertical sides. See the diagram above.

Let's explore four examples show in the visual below.

Example 1: This instructional goal can be accomplished by learning to perform three steps (i.e., by learning three part-skills and an executive subroutine).

Example 2: This instructional goal has three subordinate skills. All three skills are independent of each other (i.e., no prerequisite relationship exists between them).

Example 3: This instructional goal has ten elements altogether. Upon initial analysis, the goal was determined to have two major groups of information. The first group was composed of three items of information and the second group had five.

Example 4: This instructional goal can be accomplished by learning to perform two steps. However in performing the first step, the learner actually does three separate actions in sequence. And, with respect to step two, it is a relatively rare individual who can perform that step without also being able to perform two intellectual skills that are independent of each other.

Conducting an instructional analysis requires a thorough understanding of your content. Before attempting to create an instructional analysis, it's a good idea to conduct a "content analysis." In other words, brainstorm to create a list of "key words related to the topic" or "major steps in the procedure." For intellectual skills consider the steps you go through in your mind for achieving the instructional goal. Write these steps as a procedure and then derive subordinate skills below each step.

Along with collecting general content information, you also need to be collecting information that may be useful in developing our lessons. Examples, sample graphics, definitions, and quotations are just a few of the items you may wish to organize.

Let's examine at the topic of mitosis. Because the instructional goal for the mitosis example is an intellectual skill, the hierarchical approach will be used for the development of the instructional analysis. The student must be able to identify each of the five phases of mitosis independently. In addition, there are some scientific elements that the student must be able to identify before he or she can identify these phases. For example, the student must be able to identify a cell before he or she can identify parts of the cell. Examine the instructional analysis below.

Explore some examples of instructional analysis:

To learn more about instructional analysis, read The Systematic Design of Instruction by Dick, Carey, and Carey (2011).

Creating Diagrams

Many software packages (i.e., Inspiration, Microsoft SmartArt) and online tools can be used to create diagrams for instructional analysis. Exploratree provides wonderful templates to get started.

Bubbl.us. Very easy to use. Try it without signing up. No distracting tools, choices, or options.

Alternatives

Cacoo. Create diagrams and concept maps.

Creately. Create diagrams and mindmaps. Try it without signing up.

DropMind. Create mindmaps. Must sign up.

Gliffy. Works great, but very annoying signup reminders. Try it without signing up.

Lovelycharts. Create charts. Must sign up.

Lucidchart. Create a flowchart or concept map. Try it without signing up.

Mindmeister. Create a concept map. Must signup.

Mindomo. Create a mindmap. Must signup. Three maps for free.

mind42. Create mindmaps with links. Must signup.

Popplet. Create concept maps and post-its. Must signup.

Slatebox. Create mindmaps. Must signup.

Spicynodes. Includes lots of space for text, links, images, etc. Try it without signing up.

SpiderScribe. Create maps and include notes, documents, images, etc.

View an example created in Bubbl.us for an instruction goal on scanning a photo using a printer.
The previous section was originally published by Annette Lamb (1993) in Linkway Authoring Tool.
Try It!
Use one of the online tools such as Bubbl.us to create an instructional analysis for an instructional goal.

Abilock, Debbie. Building Blocks of Research at Noodle Tools. This document tries to show the relationships among information literacy, problem solving, curriculum design and teaching. Information literacy skills are examined in terms of Student Skills and Strategies, Student Outcomes, Curriculum and Teaching Design.

Berke, J. & Woodland, R. (1996). Twenty Questions for the Writer. Harcourt Brace.

Bird, Nora J., McInerney, Claire R., & Mohr, Stewart (2010). Source evaluation and information literacy: findings from a study on science websites. Communications in Information Literacy, 4(2).

Bowen, Carol (December 2001). A Process Approach: The I-Search with Grade 5: They Learn!. Teacher Librarian, 29(2), 14-18.

Callison, Daniel. (2006) Key Words, Concepts and Methods for Information Age Instruction: A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy. LMS Associates. Key Words: Analysis, Audience Analysis, Bias, Concept Mapping, Evidence, Idea Strategies, Information Search Strategies, Interview, Nonfiction, Note-taking, Oral History, Organizers, Plagiarism, Primary Sources, Questioning, Story, Student-Talk, Synthesis

Callison, Daniel and Lamb, Annette. (2006). Audience Analysis. In Key Words, Concepts and Methods for Information Age Instruction: A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy. LMS Associates.

Carrol, R. T. (2003). The Skeptic's Dictionary. Wiley.

Comparison of Information Skills Process Models

Denda, Kayo (April 2015). Developing interview skills and visual literacy: a new model of engagement for academic libraries. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 15(2), 299-314.

Dick, Walt, Carey, Lou, and Carey, James O. (2011). The Systematic Design of Instruction. Seventh Edition. Pearson.

Eisenberg, M.B. & Berkowitz, R.E. (1990). Information Problem-solving: the Big Six skills Approach to Library & Information Skills Instruction. Ablex.

Eisenberg, Michael B. & Berkowitz, Robert E. (1999). Teaching Information & Technology Skills: The Big6 in Elementary Schools. Linworth.

Eisenberg, M.B. & Berkowitz, R.E. (1988). Curriculum Initiative: an Agenda and Strategy for Library Media Programs. Ablex.

Eisenberg, Michael B. & Brown, Michael K. (Winter 1992). Current Themes Regarding Library and Information Skills Instruction: Research Supporting and Research Lacking. SLMQ, Vol, 20, Number 2.

Eisenberg, M.B., Lowe, C.A. & Spitzer, K.L. (2004). Information Literacy: Essential Skills for the Information Age. Libraries Unlimited.

Erdelez, Sanda, Basic, Josipa, and Levitov, Deborah (September 2011). Potential for inclusion of information encountering within information literacy models. Information Resehttps://iu.box.com/s/s9ek0qx3vd1331swkt9fch, 16(3). Available: http://informationr.net/ir/16-3/paper489.html

Fitzgerald, M.A. (1999). Evaluating information: an information literacy challenge. SLMR, 2.

Fontichiaro, Kristin (2010). Awakening and building upon prior knowledge. School Library Monthly, 27(1), 12-15.

Foster, Andrea L. (October 27, 2006). Students Fall Short on 'Information Literacy,' Education Testing Service's Study Finds, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 53(10), A36.

Guild, Sandy (2003). Modeling Recursion in Research Process Instruction. In Curriculum Connections through the Library, edited by Barbara Stripling and Sandra Hughes-Hassell. Libraries Unlimited, 141-155.

Gross, Melissa & Latham, Don (2009). Undergraduate perceptions of information literacy: defining, attaining and self-assessing skills. College and Research Libraries, 70(4), 336-350.

Gross, Melissa & Latham, Don (2011). Experiences with and perceptions of information: a phenonmenographic study of first-year college students. Library Quarterly, 81(2), 161-186.

Grotto, Margaret G. & Sobel, Karen (2012). WorldCat Local and information literacy instruction: an exploration of emerging teaching practice. Public Services Quarterly, 8, 12-25.
Information Literacy for K-16 Settings
Hofer, Amy, R., Townsend, Lori & Brunetti, Korey (October 2012). Troublesome concepts and information literacy: investigating threshold concepts for IL instruction. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 12(4), 387-405.

Irving, Ann (1985). Study and Information Skills Across the Curriculum. Heinemann Educational Books.

Joyce, Marilyn Z. & Tallman, Julie I. (1997). Making the Writing and Research Connection with the I-Search Process. How-To-Do-It Manuals for Librarians, Number 62. Neal-Schuman.

Jukes, Ian, Dosai, Anita, Matheson, Kate, McKay, Bruce, McKay, Wendy, Holmes, Lisa, and Armstrong, Sara (1998). NetSavvy: Information Litracy for the Communication Age. (Preview from Google Books)

Lamb, Annette, Johnson, Larry, and Smith, Nancy (1997). Wondering, Wiggling, and Weaving: A New Model for Project and Community Based Learning on the Web. Learning and Leading With Technology, 24(7), 6-13.

Lamb, Annette & Teclehaimanot, Berhane (2005). A Decade of WebQuests: A Retrospective. In M. Orey, J. McClendon, & R. M. Branch, (Eds.). Educational media and technology yearbook (Vol 30). Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.

Kuhlthau, Carol Collier. Accommodating the User's Information Search Process: Challenges for Information Retrieval System Designers.

Kuhlthau, Carol C. (1985). A process approach to library skills instruction. School Library Media Quarterly, 4(1), 31-44.

Kuhlthau, Carol Collier (1985, 1994). Teaching the Library Research Process. Center for Applied Research in Education, Scarecrow Press.

Kuhlthau, Carol Collier (August 1987). Cognitive Development and Students' Research. School Library Journal, 33(11), 46. (From EBSCOhost, requires IUPUI login)

Kuhlthau, Carol Collier (1988). Meeting the needs of children and young adults: Basing library media programs on developmental states. Journal of Youth Services in Libraries, 2(1), 51-57.

Kuhlthau, Carol Collier (Fall 1989). Information Search Process: A Summary of Research and Implications for School Library Media Programs. SLMQ, 18(1).

Kuhlthau, Carol (1993). Implementing a Process Approach to Information Skills: A Study Identifying Indicators of Success in Library Media Programs. SLMQ, 22(1).

Kuhlthau, Carol Collier (1994). Impact of the Information Search Process model on library services. Research Quarterly, 34(1), 21-26.

Kuhlthau, Carol C. (1994). Teaching the Library Research Process, 2nd Edition. Scarecrow Press.

Kuhlthau, Carol Collier (1994). Students and the Information Search Process: Zones of Intervention for Librarians. Advanced in Librarianship, 18.

Kuhlthau, Carol ollier (1997). Learning in digital libraries: an information search process approach. Library Trends, 45(4), p. 708-725.

Kuhlthau, Carol, Maniotes, Leslie K., and Caspari, Ann K. (2007). Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited.

Lamb, Annette. Dive into WebQuests: Reading, Writing, and Web 2.0.

Lamb, Annette. Internet Expeditions: Exploring, Using, Adapting, and Creating WebQuests.

Lamb, Annette. Locate and Evaluate WebQuests .

Lamb, Annette. WebQuests to Web 2.0: More than a Decade of Technology Ideas.

Little, T, J. Super3. Early childhood version of The Big6 Skill written by Eisenberg and Berkowitz.

Macrorie, K. (1988). The I-Search Paper. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers.

McCarthy, C.A. (2003). FLIP IT! An information literacy framework that really works for all ages. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 19(7), 22-23, 30.

McKenzie, J. (2000). Beyond Technology: Questioning, Research and the Information Literate School. FNO Press.

McKenzie, Jamie. Learning to Question, to Wonder, to Learn. Bellingham, WA: FNO Press.

Muncey, Donna E., Payne, Joyce, and White, Noel S. (1999). Making the Curriculum and Instructional Reform Happen: A Case Study. Peabody Journal of Education, 74(1), 68.

Murray, Donald M. (1982). Writing as a Process: How Writing Finds Its Own Meaning. In Learning by Teaching: Selected Articles on Writing and Teaching. Heinemann.

Murray, Janet (2008). Applying Big6 Skills, Information Literacy Standards, and ISTE NET.

Oberg, Dianne (1999) Teaching the research process - for discovery and personal growth. Paper presented at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Available: http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla65/papers/078-119e.htm

Online Resources to Support BIG6™ Information Skills from John Newbery Elementary School, WA

Pappas, M.L. & Tepe, A.E. (1997). Pathways to Knowledge: Follett's Information Skills Model. Follett Software.

Pappas, M. & Tepe, Ann (2002). Pathways to Knowledge and Inquiry Learning. Libraries Unlimited.

Rankin, Virginia (1992). Pre-search. School Library Journal (Vol. 38, Issue 3, p. 168-171).

Rankin, Virginia (1996). Get smart: the crucial link between media specialists and A+ student projects. School Library Journal (Vol. 42, Issue 8, p. 22-27).

Rankin, Virginia (1999). The Thoughtful Researcher: Teaching the Research Process to Middle School Students. Englewood: Libraries Unlimited.

Rankin, Virginia (1999). The thought that counts. School Library Journal (Vol. 45, Issue 8, p. 26-29).

Research Assistant (1993t. In L. Hardesty, J. Hastreiter, and D. Henderson. (Eds). Bibliographic instruction in practice: A tribute to the legacy of Evan Ira Farber (77-90). Pierian Press.

Research Helper (4-Step Research Model) by S. Hughes.

Rozakis, Laurie (2004). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Research Methods. Alpha Books.

Shaw, Rosemary (July 1, 2003). Teaching Students How To Do Online Research. TechLearning.

Shannon, D. (2002). Kuhlthau's Information Search Process. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 19(1), 19-23

Stanley, Deborah B. (2000). Practical Steps to the Research Process for Middle School. Libraries Unlimited.

Stripling, B.K. & Pitts, J.M. (1988). Brainstorms and Blueprints: Teaching Library Research as a Thinking Process. Libraries Unlimited.

Stripling, Barbara. Inquiry-Based Learning. In Curriculum Connections through the Library, edited by Barbara Stripling and Sandra Hughes-Hassell. Libraries Unlimited. 2003. 3-40.

Stripling and Pitts Research Process Model. This was one of the earlier models developed.

Tallman, Julie (1995). Connecting Writing and Research through the I-search Paper. Emergency Librarian, 23(1), 20-24.

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Wolf, Sara, Brush, Thomas, & Saye, John (2003). The Big Six Information Skills As a Metacognitive Scaffold: A Case Study. SLMR, 6.

Yucht, Alice (1997). FLIP IT! An Information Skills Strategy for Student Researchers. Linworth.

Zorfass, Judith, Copel, Harriet (1995). I-Search: Guiding Student Toward Relevant Research. Educational Leadership, 53(1), 48-52.

Zorfass, J.M., & Dorsen, J. (March 2002). ScienceQuest: Literacy development within an informal science education initiative. Reading Online, 5(7). Available: http://www.readingonline.org/articles/art_index.asp?HREF=zorfass/index.html

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school of library and information science

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Information Instruction: Strategies for Library and Information Professionals

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At the completion of this section, you should be able to: Compare and contrast information inquiry models Identify key topics in information literacy Create an instructional analysis. Begin by viewing the class presentation in Vimeo. Then, read each of the sections of this page.

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M5 Resource 3: Generating Question Families

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M5 Resource 3: Generating Question Families

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I have asked my students to jot down questions they have about a particular topic, but do I step in to help students realize which questions are more powerful than others? This article was a great read and I love the question stem "Can you come up with five more questions like _______________?"  It is suggested to encourage students to go beyond brainstorming by using question families to group related information, allowing students to group by conceptual relationships. I love how the article stated, "Real research involves more than finding answers. It requires the building of answers around puzzling issues and questions."

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“Can you come up with five more questions like ‘What causes floods?’”

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M5 Resource 2: 4 Phases of Inquiry-Based Learning (Teacher Guide)

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M5 Resource 2: 4 Phases of Inquiry-Based Learning (Teacher Guide)

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The school librarian at my school strives to share resources with teachers to help them be more effective in the classroom. This is the type of article that I would love to share with all staff one day, as it outlines exactly what types of interactions occur in each of the four phases of inquiry-based learning.

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by Terry Heick

According to Indiana University Bloomington, Inquiry-based learning is an "instructional model that centers learning on a solving a particular problem or answering a central question. There are several different inquiry-based learning models, but most have several general elements in common:

Learning focuses around a meaningful, ill-structured problem that demands consideration of diverse perspectives

Academic content-learning occurs as a natural part of the process as students work towards finding solutions

Learners, working collaboratively, assume an active role in the learning process

Teachers provide learners with learning supports and rich multiple media sources of information to assist students in successfully finding solutions

Learners share and defend solutions publicly in some manner"

The process itself can be broken down into stages, or phases, that help teachers frame instruction. The model we've created can be used as a guide for teachers, as it includes teacher and student indicators at each stage, ideal "tones" of each phase, and even apps that can support that phase as well.

Inquiry-based learning is an approach that can easily accommodate project-based learning, challenge-based learning, place-based education, blended learning, and other trends in education.
4 Phases of Inquiry-Based Learning: A Guide For Teachers Big Idea: Dive into engaging, relevant, and credible media forms to identify a 'need' or opportunity for inquiry
The first phase of inquiry (often produced by strategies for promoting inquiry-based learning) is one characterized by interaction. This interaction can be:

Student-to-material. This material is ideally obtained through formal (i.e., research) and informal (e.g., reading, social and digital media, collaboration) means. It can be modeled or supplemented by teacher-provided materials

Student-to-peer. This interaction is chosen by teacher or student, informed by need for information and perspective

Student-to-expert (experts within relevant fields at accessible levels)

Student-to-media (digital, text, pure data, etc.)

The nature of inquiry is ideally both curiosity-based and fluid. Narrow criteria, restrictive rubrics, and other traditional artifacts of 'school work' can stifle inquiry at this point of the learning process. The teacher's role at this point in the learning process is focused on resources, modeling curiosity, and cognitive coaching.

Tone: Open-minded, curious, unburdened, playful

Student Indicators: actively skims a variety of media, follows curiosity, responds with awe, dwells with certain media depending on curiosity or perceived utility; seeks out peers for ideas and resources

Teacher Indicators: models curiosity, thinks-aloud when interacting with disparate media, asks probing questions, withholds evaluative statements, provides exemplars, monitors and encourages student thinking habits

Apps: FlipBoard, Pocket, Podkicker, Zotero

Appropriate Questions: What sources of information are available to me? What do others around me know? What's worth studying? What possibilities, problems, or situations tend to interest me? What types of experiences, perspectives, and data are available to me? When am I at my best?
Big Idea: Summarizing, paraphrasing, and categorizing learning with teacher or expert support.
This happens by analyzing data, identifying and clarifying misconceptions, and otherwise 'getting a feel' for the scale, nature, and possibility of selected topics of inquiry.

After skimming, reading, watching, and otherwise interacting with a variety of media, this stage of the inquiry process is centered around students clarifying both their own thinking, and the nature of 'things' around them: ideas for projects, scientific challenges, opportunities for revision, need for design thinking, a new scale to tackle persistent problems, etc.

Thinking patterns are both inward and reflective, and outward and communicated. In that way, students both reflect on their own knowledge, while beginning to identify possible pathways forward.

Tone: Slightly more focused, reflective, independent, cautious

Student Indicators: Paraphrases understanding in familiar language; resists looking for 'answers' and 'solutions'; distinguishes between fact and opinion; evaluates the credibility and relevance of sources; focused on possibility

Teacher Indicators: offers non-evaluative and frequent feedback; provides relevant graphic organizers and other ways to 'frame' student thinking; asks probing questions that focus on student thinking: what they know and why they think they know it;

Appropriate Questions: What's the big picture here? What are the pieces and how do they fit? What's accessible, and what's not? What's possible? Am I missing critical data, perspectives, or opportunities for collaboration that could further clarify my thinking? What do I seem to understand, and how do I know?
Apps: MindMeister, WordPress, Quora, reddit Big Idea: Asking questions to drive continued, self-directed inquiry
The questioning phase is a critical phase of the inquiry-based learning process, if for no other reason than misunderstandings, lack of organization, uneven confidence, or an inability to see the 'big picture' surface here more clearly than other phases.

Students and teachers alike must also be able to trust the nature and patterns of inquiry that are often recursive and iterative: They often move back and forth between phases, and new skills and understandings can be obtained in frustratingly small increments. Inquiry-based learning is more about the process, tone, and instincts of learning than other 'tidier' academic forms, which can require both students and teachers to adjust their measures of progress, quality, and success.

Tone: Creative, confident, interdependent

Student Indicators: Curious, precise with questions, self-monitoring, big-picture thinking, little-picture application

Teacher Indicators: models questioning, thinks-aloud in revising irrelevant or otherwise flawed questions; models use of concept-mapping tools to analyze thinking; hosts QFT sessions and Socratic seminars

Appropriate Questions: What's worth understanding? Where are my knowledge gaps? What is both within and beyond my reach? What have I done in the past that can help me in this situation moving forward?

Apps: Evernote, MindMeister, twitter, Quora, reddit
Big Idea: Designing an accessible, relevant, and curiosity-driven action or product to culminate and justify inquiry
At this final stage of the inquiry-based learning process, learners are focused on design.

Design of solutions to address problems within a manageable scale

Design of logical and curiosity-based applications of current understanding

Design of next steps to extend their own learning pathway

Tone: Creative, restrained, calculating

Appropriate Questions:What now? What audience makes sense for this research? Where can I do 'good work'? What would be 'cool'? What have others before me done?

Apps: Posts, Mextures, Inkist, Google Drive, DesignPad, Foldify

Student Indicators: Clarifies thinking, busy, self-directed, uncertain but efficacious, follows curiosity

Teacher Indicators: Creates 'conditions and means' for collaboration; i dentifies areas for revision, reflects back on entire process (i.e., "how we get to this point")
4 Student Questions For Post-Phase Reflection
After the inquiry-based learning process is 'finished' (for the purposes of classroom work, publishing, grading, etc.), it can be helpful for students to reflect in the inquiry-based learning process through questions such as:

What skills did I depend on?

What do I now understand more deeply, and how do I know?

If I had more time or resources, what else could I have done?

What is the role of inquiry in learning?
4 Phases of Inquiry-Based Learning: A Guide For Teachers; image attribution flickr user woodleywonderworks and usgahumphreys

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4 Phases Of Inquiry-Based Learning: A Guide For Teachers

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The phases of inquiry-based learning can vary depending on context but generally include Interacting, Clarifying, Questioning, and Designing.

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I am choosing to include this video for one of my resources to remember because it includes a lot of high-quality information. I appreciate that Striplings Inquiry Model is taken and broken down with specific examples for teacher librarians. Example:

Connect: picture book / text excerpt / primary source (schema), hands on activity, KWL (K - "what we think we know"), think-pair-share, classroom definitions, choice (these activities help level the playing field) *ex) build a common definition of heroes // Are we taking kids on the deepest possible journey?

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Provides strategies for school librarians to gently move our K-12 instructional design closer to the inquiry approach outlined in the AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. (Presentation from AASL 2009)

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The final resource I chose to bookmark this week is a direct link to a helpful poster on Backwards Design and "beginning with the end in mind" shared on Pinterest. I need to begin by asking myself, "What is worthy and requiring of understanding?" With the end goal in mind, I can then move forward with planning instructional tasks to get where I need my students to go.

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Sep 1, 2015 - Founded in 1943, ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is an educational leadership organization dedicated to advancing best practices and policies for the success of each learner. Our 175,000 members in 119 countries are professional educators from all levels and subject areas––superintendents, supervisors, principals, teachers, professors of education, and school board members.

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I chose to also bookmark this article because I liked the Bloom's Revised Taxonomy Model (Responsive) that was included with specific examples with shifts in word choice/categorization. The authors of the revised taxonomy use verbs and gerunds to label their categories and subcategories (rather than the nouns of the original taxonomy). These “action words” describe the cognitive processes by which thinkers encounter and work with knowledge.

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*Anderson, L.W. (Ed.), Krathwohl, D.R. (Ed.), Airasian, P.W., Cruikshank, K.A., Mayer, R.E., Pintrich, P.R., Raths, J., & Wittrock, M.C. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (Complete edition). New York: Longman.

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Anderson, L.W. (Ed.), Krathwohl, D.R. (Ed.), Airasian, P.W., Cruikshank, K.A., Mayer, R.E., Pintrich, P.R., Raths, J., & Wittrock, M.C. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (Complete edition). New York: Longman.

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I chose to bookmark this article titled, "Bloom's Taxonomy Blooms Digitally." I was familiar with Bloom's Taxonomy, but not familiar with the categorizing that is so beautifully done in this article. Wow! We live in a world infused with digital resources, so it is neat to see where each action falls in the hierarchy.

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from Educators’ eZine --> Introduction and Background: Bloom’s Taxonomy In the 1950’s Benjamin Bloom developed his taxonomy of cognitive objectives, Bloom’s Taxonomy. This categorized and or

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M3 Resource 3: Eight Digital Skills to Teach Children

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M3 Resource 3: Eight Digital Skills to Teach Children

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I selected this as my final resource to bookmark this week because this infographic is extremely easy to read and very informative! I feel as though adults tend to focus on a few of these digital skills, while missing the majority. This is a very helpful graphic, as we need to prepare our children appropriately for navigating digital tools.

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8 digital skills we must teach our children

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The digital content they consume, who they meet online and how much time they spend onscreen - all these factors will greatly influence children's development.

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I teach 4th grade, so I wanted to bookmark this game for future use. The core gameplay of Data Defenders is a “match-three” game which introduces players to key concepts of the information economy, particularly the idea that we pay for many online services and activities with our personal information. This game lasts for two rounds.

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M3 Resource 1: Five Vetted Resources for Students to use to separate Fact vs. Fiction

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M3 Resource 1: Five Vetted Resources for Students to use to separate Fact vs. Fiction

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I chose to include a direct link to this practical article, as it includes five vetted resources that students can use to separate fact from fiction. I had heard of Factcheck.org & Snopes before this read, but the others were new and important to know about. I will definitely suggest these!

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Our students use the web every day-shouldn't we expect them to do better at interpreting what they read there? Perhaps, but not necessarily. Often, stereotypes about kids and technology can get in the way of what's at stake in today's complex media landscape. Sure, our students probably joined Snapchat faster than we could say "Face Swap," but that doesn't mean they're any better at interpreting what they see in the news and online.

As teachers, we've probably seen students use questionable sources in our classrooms, and a recent study from the Stanford History Education Group confirms that students today are generally pretty bad at evaluating the news and other information they see online. Now more than ever, our students need our help. And a big part of this is learning how to fact-check what they see on the web.

In a lot of ways, the web is a fountain of misinformation. But it also can be our students' best tool in the fight against falsehood. An important first step is giving students trusted resources they can use to verify or debunk the information they find. Even one fact-checking activity could be an important first step toward empowering students to start seeing the web from a fact-checker's point of view.

Here's a list of fact-checking resources you and your students can use in becoming better web detectives.

FactCheck.org

A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, the nonpartisan, nonprofit FactCheck.org says that it "aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics." Its entries cover TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Science teachers take note: The site includes a feature called SciCheck, which focuses on false and misleading scientific claims used for political influence. Beyond individual entries, there also are articles and videos on popular and current topics in the news, among a bevy of other resources.

PolitiFact

From the independent Tampa Bay Times, PolitiFact tracks who's telling the truth-and who isn't-in American politics. Updated daily, the site fact-checks statements made by elected officials, candidates, and pundits. Entries are rated on a scale that ranges from "True" to "Pants on Fire" and include links to relevant sources to support each rating. The site's content is written for adult readers, and students may need teachers' help with context and direction.

Snopes

The popular online resource Snopes is a one-stop shop to fact-check internet rumors. Entries include everything from so-called urban legends to politics and news stories. Teachers should note that there's a lot here on a variety of topics-and some material is potentially iffy for younger kids. It's a great resource for older students-if you can keep them from getting distracted.

OpenSecrets.org

OpenSecrets.org is a nonpartisan organization that tracks the influence of money in U.S. politics. On the site, users can find informative tutorials on topics such as the basics of campaign finance-not to mention regularly updated data reports and analyses on where money has been spent in the American political system. While potentially useful for fact-finding, the site is clearly intended for more advanced adult readers and is best left for older students and sophisticated readers.

Internet Archive Wayback Machine

This one isn't a site that performs fact-checking. Instead, the Internet Archive Wayback Machine is a tool you can use yourself to fact-check things you find online. Like an internet time machine, the site lets you see how a website looked, and what it said, at different points in the past. Want to see Google's home page from 1998? Yep, it's here. Want to see The New York Times' home page on just about any day since 1996? You can. While they won't find everything here, there's still a lot for students to discover. Just beware: The site can be a bit of a rabbit hole-give students some structure before they dive in, because it's easy to get lost or distracted.

Want to take your students' knowledge of fact-checking a step further? Engage them in discussions around why these sites and organizations are seen as trusted (and why others might not be trusted as much). Together, look into how each site is funded, who manages it, and how it describes its own fact-checking process.

You can also help your students think critically about the media they're consuming and creating with Common Sense Education's News and Media Literacy Toolkit for teachers.

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Turning Your Students Into Web Detectives

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Our students use the web every day-shouldn't we expect them to do better at interpreting what they read there? Perhaps, but not necessarily. Often, stereotypes about kids and technology can get in the way of what's at stake in today's complex media landscape.

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M2 Resource 3: AASL Position on School Library Scheduling

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M2 Resource 3: AASL Position on School Library Scheduling

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I do not want to forget that AASL provides position statements on everything from labeling practices to school library scheduling, which is very helpful. These position statements would assist a first-year teacher librarian will developing their own missions, routines, and expectations.

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M2 Resource 2: Ten Things Your Administrator Needs to Know as the School Year Begins

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M2 Resource 2: Ten Things Your Administrator Needs to Know as the School Year Begins

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I chose to also bookmark this invaluable article written to one's administrator because it is concise and straightforward, describing the unique and important roles of the school librarian. Librarians empower students to become skillful researchers and critical thinkers, are instructional partners who collaborate with other educators, etc. This is a great read to be reminded that a school librarian fulfills many roles and benefits the entire school community.

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10. That you are a teacher who teaches not content but process. You teach children to be information literate, digitally literate, media literate, and visually literate. The skills that you teach, the dispositions that you help children to develop, the responsibilities that you foster, and the self-assessment strategies that you instill will serve children not only in school but also in life. You are, first and foremost, a teacher!

9. That you are an information specialist, the original, most powerful search engine, able to decipher the most cryptic reference question and connect that child or that teacher with the information needed. You know the resources; you know your patrons, and you connect the two.

8. That you are an instructional partner who works collaboratively with all other educators in the building to teach critical information skills in the context of content curriculum. You are there to partner with that teacher who wants to present a lesson in a different way or who wants to have children create a more authentic product to demonstrate real learning. Because of your participation, the lesson is stronger and more effective.

7. That you are an instructional leader with a view and perspective of the school like no other. You see across grades and across content areas. You work with all students and with all teachers. You are well versed in the latest technologies and are able to integrate them effectively into instruction, and you're able to provide professional development on library resources and technologies for your colleagues.

6. That you are a program administrator who does a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes to make sure that the library program runs smoothly. So much of your job is invisible, and your principal needs to know that.

5. That you empower students to become critical thinkers. Through lessons in the library students experience everything from comparing and contrasting nonfiction and fiction works on the same topic to creating in a makerspace to evaluating information found on the Web.

4. That you empower students to become enthusiastic readers as you do everything in your power to help them develop not only skills in reading but also a lifelong love of reading. You provide books in various formats (print, audio, ebook) and in various genres to meet students' information and recreational reading needs. You host reading promotions, and you stress the joy of reading.

3. That you empower students to become skillful researchers. You teach children to unpack information using text features in books. You teach children how to summarize and how to synthesize, and you teach them the differences in the two. You teach children to narrow topics, develop research questions, and search effectively to answer those questions.

2. That you empower students to become ethical users of information. You teach the concept of intellectual property, of citation, and of giving credit where credit is due. You help children to understand what plagiarism is, and you teach them how to extract and process and synthesize information to create a new product.

1. That school librarians transform student learning and that this is much easier to accomplish with administrative support. An administrator's support can come in many forms: a healthy budget, a schedule that allows for common planning time with teachers, affirmation to faculty of the important role of the library program in the school and in student learning.

If your administrator already knows these things, wonderful! You or a librarian with whom they've worked in the past has demonstrated what a 21st-century school librarian does! If your administrator is not so knowledgeable about the key role that you can play in the instruction that takes place in your school, now is the time to speak up and share. Be the librarian that delivers that message!

Categories: Advocacy/Leadership, Blog Topics, Community, Presidential Musings

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Audrey Church, Leadership Development Committee Chair and 2017-2018 AASL Past President

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Ten Things Your Administrator Needs to Know as the School Year Begins | Knowledge Quest

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10. That you are a teacher who teaches not content but process. You teach children to be information literate, digitally literate, media literate, and visually literate. The skills that you teach, the dispositions that you help children to develop, the responsibilities... Read More ›

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M2 Resource 1: LIIITE Model of Teacher Librarians

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M2 Resource 1: LIIITE Model of Teacher Librarians

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I chose to include the LIIITE model as one of my three resources this week because I do not want to forget a school librarian's role and possibilities (cutting edge vs. traditional). Codesigning, coteaching, and contributing through collaborative leadership are a few phrases that stood out to me in this infographic.