My reference collection journey is now coming to a close. I have discussed many different aspects of the reference collection, related them to our course readings, as well as to my current connections with various libraries in the school district. I see a push for more electronic references within the libraries, but still see students accessing the print copies for addition research information. Overall, this reflection process has allowed me to revisit each topic and express how it relates to my current situation and how I will use the reference collection in the future.
Thank you
Sunday 8 April 2012
Assignment 3.1 - Change a Teacher
Teacher Situation
Ms. P. is a teacher librarian at two different schools in School District No. 57 (Prince George). She is currently trying to collaborate with other staff members in her school, and working to “develop joint instructional practices” (Huang). Ms. P. also wishes to create a Professional Learning Network through the Internet, to share ideas, collaborate and create inter-school or district connections.
Stages of Concern
Huang notes, “the upper Stages of Concern are focused on the results and impact of the activity, a clue of which might be the use of pronouns which refer to clients, protégés, or participants who receive the benefits of the activity” (Huang). When discussing Ms. P.’s use of reference materials she clearly referred to the result of the students, and how the students benefited from her use of various strategies and reference materials; especially electronic reference resources such as World Book Online.
Ms. P. also attends regular Professional Learning Committees (PLCs) also known as Professional Learning Teams (PLTs). Based on the language Ms P. uses as well as her involvement with school PLCs, it is clear she is at the Integration level of use within the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM).
Effective Use of Reference Resources
Currently, Ms. P. is using more electronic reference resources than print, due to their updated information. She has the students view World book online, as well as local websites such as the Exploration Place website, to help facilitate local and curriculum learning. She does not use Google often but she does have students use it occasionally to broaden their search parameters. Ms. P. also has the students supplement reference resources with the non-fiction section of the library, for additional information.
Ms. P. has also been working to collaborate with staff. She has been working with the second grade teacher on units, however, after interviewing her, she says most of the older staff members are more reluctant to collaborate as they have their own routines they focus on.
Introduction of New Resource:
Ms. P. admitted she is interested in collaborating with other schools and teachers district wide, and provincially. Her goal is to connect with other teacher librarians and teachers. After an extended collaboration period, the students from both schools would be introduced, and would collaborate on a project. As part of another course within the Diploma program forming collaborative networks has been a key concept using social networking. When Ms. P. mentioned her goal for her libraries, I asked Ms. P. if she had a Twitter account. She replied, “No.”
According to William Kist, “Twitter is an online social network that asks participants to update their ‘followers’ as to what they are doing in fewer than 140 characters. Some ‘twits’ choose to ‘tweet’ many times a day to hundreds, sometimes thousands, of followers” (2010). I explained Twitter can be used as a platform for connecting to other teachers in the district, provincially, even worldwide. Will Richardson states, “Following other educators on Twitter
creates a ‘network at my fingertips’ phenomenon where people ask questions and get answers, link to great blog posts or resources, or share ideas for projects as they go through the day. For many, it’s become a running river of conversation and ideas that has cemented their connections to the community and made the network even more palpable” (2010).
I also explained that once the collaboration between teachers was started, Skype could be used between the students as a means to communicate using video and audio! Ms. P.’s response was, “Can you show me?”
Ms. P. and I met at a local coffee shop with laptops in hand. Over a coffee and chai latte, we constructed an Innovation Configuration (Appendix A) and I helped her set up a Twitter account. When starting a new account with Twitter, it allows you to add your friends using Facebook, but also allows you to enter specific people you wish to follow, or “you can find new people to follow using a variety of directories. …[All] sorts of resource sites have sprung up for teachers who want to connect with other Twittered souls. Try, for example, the exhaustive ‘Directory of Learning Professionals (& Others) on Twitter’” (Richardson, 2010). I helped Ms. P. pick new people to follow tied to education, such as Joyce Valenza and Buffy Hamilton (both teacher librarians) and also looked at the ‘Twitter for Teachers’ wiki. Richardson explains, “It’s a blend of the professional and the personal that makes Twitter such a cool tool on so many levels. Some people have described it as a ‘sixth sense’ in terms of the network; you feel more a part of the larger conversation, more a part of the community” (2010).
I explained to Ms. P. that in order for this to work you have to make time to check what people have posted, and be involved with the conversations; post that you are interested in collaborating with other schools and see what develops. Ms. P. was so excited to be introduced to this new resource. Though this may not have been a reference resource, it ties into her goals for the future of her library.
I also took the time to explain some of Richardson’s ideas for classroom integration. He suggests, “If you want a sense of how Twitter changes the game, check out the great ‘Twitter Collaboration Stories’ wiki that’s hosted by Nancy White (tinyurl.com/yw7sa8)” (Richardson, 2010). He also highlights “The ‘Twitter in Academia’ post at the AcademHack blog” which “has a number of ways to start integrating Twitter into the classroom” (Richardson, 2010). The AcademHack blog has about ten different ideas for using Twitter in the classroom. I pointed out “Grammar,” “Following a Famous Person or Professional” “Track a word” and “Classroom Community building” (dave, 2008).
As Ms. P. and I were discussing the potential I referred back to Richardson and noted his final comment on Twitter, “But regardless of how you might think about Twitter in the classroom, remember, the short (140 characters or less) lesson is this: Think about Twitter for yourself first. It’s a great place to connect and learn with others who share your passions” (2010).
Now that Ms. P. has her Twitter account it is up to her to take its use to the next level. One thing she did note early in the process was that she has wanted to start using more social networking but had not set time aside for this. This self-reflection could place Ms. P. further back on the Levels of Use Scale presented by Huang, but I believe that based on her commitment to learning and her desire to reach her goals in collaboration, Ms. P. will be moving forward on the scale, and will set aside time to communicate with other teachers throughout the world.
Self-Reflection and Conclusions
When I first saw this assignment I had concerns about the goal of the assignment. I had issues with the title, “Change a Teacher.” Teachers do not like being told they have to change. Ms. P, however, was very excited to participate in the assignment, and was interested in my ideas. Ms. P. values collaboration, and was willing to listen to my suggestions. I believe approaching the assignment as an interview first, helped in determining which tool to share with Ms. P. as well. Rather than choosing a random tool from my collection, I was able to choose one that was tailored to her goals for her libraries. As Susan Loucks-Horsley notes, “The strength of the concerns model is in its reminder to pay attention to individuals and their various needs for information, assistance, and moral support” (1996). I feel this made more of an impact, and also allowed Ms. P. the opportunity to ask for my assistance in getting started with Twitter.
Appendix A: Innovation Configuration
| Innovation Configuration - Twitter Network | |||
| | |||
| Key Components | Ideal Implementation | Flawed Implementations | Unacceptable Implementation |
| | |||
| *Teacher will join Twitter | Teacher will follow the steps provided by the Project coordinator, and create a Twitter account. | Creates an account but does not add acceptable followers for tool to be effective. | Teacher refuses to be involved with a Twitter account. |
| | |||
| *Teacher will network with other educators using a series of tools | Teacher accesses the Sqworl created by the Project coordinator to network with other educators, and engage in dialog. | Teacher creates a network, however, teacher does not interact with the network. | Teacher does not connect with any teachers and only uses Twitter as a personal connection tool. |
| | |||
| *Teacher will use the networks to collaborate on a project between two schools. | Teacher finds several schools or educators interested in inter-school collaboration and develops a project to get students connected with other students, provincially or worldwide. | Teacher starts collaboration process, however, completion is not followed through. | Teacher does not engage in any dialog with other schools, therefore not collaborating. |
References
dave. (2008, January 23). Twitter for Academia. AcademHack [Weblog Post]
Retrieved from http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2008/
Kist, W. (2010). The Social Networked Classroom: Teaching in the new media
age. Thousand Oaks, OH: Corwin.
Loucks-Horsley, S. (1996). Professional Development for Science Education:
A critical and immediate challenge. In R. Bybee (Ed.), National
Standards & the Science Curriculum. Dubuque, IW: Kendall/Hunt
Publishing Co.
Oris, A. and Huang, P. Concerns-Based Adoption Model. Retrieved from
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools
for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, OH: Corwin.
Lesson 13 - Evaluating Reference Services
Accessing the collection:
The Evaluating, Selecting and Managing Learning Resources: A Guide discusses the different forms of accessibility within a library collection. This is not limited to how often students are able to visit the library, but is broadened to include the intellectual, physical, and digital access the clientele have with the collection.
Intellectual:
The guide states, "Schools and school districts have the responsibility to balance the information needs of staff and students with the need to provide materials that are appropriate to the age/maturity level of the students and are generally acceptable to the community at large" (Ministry of Education, 2002, 88). When building the collection, teacher librarians must keep in mind that it is not only students accessing the resources, but also local community members and the school's staff. In School District No. 57, inter-library loans between school libraries are popular. Teacher librarians share their resources throughout the district, knowing that their in school library is a branch of a larger network.
Physical:
Physical access does not mean how fast students can move from their classroom to the library or whether they can access it at any point during the day. Though, I do believe in open access with some limitations. The reference collection should have restrictions on how long students should have access, especially if a class is working on a research project on similar topics. Most libraries I have visited are open before, during and after school hours to allow access by students, staff and community members.
The physical refers to the location of the materials within the library space. The physical layout of the library resource centre must be considered when organizing the space. The layout will determine the best flow of students through the space, but also will encourage areas to be accessed equally, or some areas more than others. It is also important to consider access to all formats of resources and "providing facilities and equipment for previewing all learning resource formats" (Ministry of Education, 2002, 89).
Digital:
The Guide states, "The incorporation of any of the current or emerging information technologies into educational programs should be based on the ability of the technologies to assist students in meeting learning outcomes or to facilitate learning resource management" (Ministry of Education, 2002, 89). This means technology should not be added for the sake of adding technology, but digital access should be available with a purpose to meet specific Learning Outcomes. Digital access can also mean ensuring enough "workstations are available for student and teacher use in accessing online databases and the Internet" (Ministry of Education, 2002, 89).
Most schools I have visited have four to six computer stations in the library. With a computer lab somewhere else in the school. There are two formats of labs within the district, portable and stationary. The portable labs are somewhat problematic, as they require substantial wireless bandwidth to support the online use. The stationary labs have fewer issues as they use wired ethernet cables, so the Internet accessibility is usually reliable. Two libraries I have visited have to fortune of having the school's stationary lab connected to the library resource center. Students have access to both physical spaces at the same time.
By proving access to the library resource centre and all its resources teacher librarians are opening up new worlds of learning and many opportunities for researching interests as well as curriculum directed learning.
References:
Ministry of Education. (2002). Evaluating, Selecting and Managing Learning
Resources: A Guide. Victoria, BC: Learning Resources Branch.
The Evaluating, Selecting and Managing Learning Resources: A Guide discusses the different forms of accessibility within a library collection. This is not limited to how often students are able to visit the library, but is broadened to include the intellectual, physical, and digital access the clientele have with the collection.
Intellectual:
The guide states, "Schools and school districts have the responsibility to balance the information needs of staff and students with the need to provide materials that are appropriate to the age/maturity level of the students and are generally acceptable to the community at large" (Ministry of Education, 2002, 88). When building the collection, teacher librarians must keep in mind that it is not only students accessing the resources, but also local community members and the school's staff. In School District No. 57, inter-library loans between school libraries are popular. Teacher librarians share their resources throughout the district, knowing that their in school library is a branch of a larger network.
Physical:
Physical access does not mean how fast students can move from their classroom to the library or whether they can access it at any point during the day. Though, I do believe in open access with some limitations. The reference collection should have restrictions on how long students should have access, especially if a class is working on a research project on similar topics. Most libraries I have visited are open before, during and after school hours to allow access by students, staff and community members.
The physical refers to the location of the materials within the library space. The physical layout of the library resource centre must be considered when organizing the space. The layout will determine the best flow of students through the space, but also will encourage areas to be accessed equally, or some areas more than others. It is also important to consider access to all formats of resources and "providing facilities and equipment for previewing all learning resource formats" (Ministry of Education, 2002, 89).
Digital:
The Guide states, "The incorporation of any of the current or emerging information technologies into educational programs should be based on the ability of the technologies to assist students in meeting learning outcomes or to facilitate learning resource management" (Ministry of Education, 2002, 89). This means technology should not be added for the sake of adding technology, but digital access should be available with a purpose to meet specific Learning Outcomes. Digital access can also mean ensuring enough "workstations are available for student and teacher use in accessing online databases and the Internet" (Ministry of Education, 2002, 89).
Most schools I have visited have four to six computer stations in the library. With a computer lab somewhere else in the school. There are two formats of labs within the district, portable and stationary. The portable labs are somewhat problematic, as they require substantial wireless bandwidth to support the online use. The stationary labs have fewer issues as they use wired ethernet cables, so the Internet accessibility is usually reliable. Two libraries I have visited have to fortune of having the school's stationary lab connected to the library resource center. Students have access to both physical spaces at the same time.
By proving access to the library resource centre and all its resources teacher librarians are opening up new worlds of learning and many opportunities for researching interests as well as curriculum directed learning.
References:
Ministry of Education. (2002). Evaluating, Selecting and Managing Learning
Resources: A Guide. Victoria, BC: Learning Resources Branch.
Lesson 12 - Managing the Reference Collection
Budgets
Budgets are often a discussion topic among teacher librarians. There is never enough money to build the collection to its maximum potential. That being said, in School District No. 57, most school library resource centers are budgeted $5000 per year for the purchase of new materials and the maintenance of the collection. Budgets are determined by the individual school libraries. Some schools, which double as French Immersion and English speaking schools are budgeted $3500 for English resources, and $3500 for Francophone resources.
The District Resource Center is responsible for ordering and purchasing through Baker and Taylor. The DRC keeps records of how much has been spent by the school, but it is also the responsibility of the individual teacher librarian to keep track of the annual expenses. This is due to a division of where purchasing can be allocated. Eighty percent of the budget is set aside for Baker and Taylor purchases, the remaining 20% is for local bookstore purchases.
Over the past two months I have talked in detail with three teacher librarians in the district about their reference collections, and the responses are all the same, "Our reference collections are pitiful." Two teacher librarians, are really trying to engage students with the e-resources provided by the district. They are encouraging and educating their students to access the materials from home, as well as in the school. The other teacher librarian, has been weeding out may of the reference materials due to age, and has slowly been replacing the resources. She is also trying to show students resources online, but has not been actively using the e-resources.
From my observations, it seems more onus is being put on the non-fiction materials, and less on the reference collections, due to the increasing availability of online references that are more current and regularly updated.
Budgets are often a discussion topic among teacher librarians. There is never enough money to build the collection to its maximum potential. That being said, in School District No. 57, most school library resource centers are budgeted $5000 per year for the purchase of new materials and the maintenance of the collection. Budgets are determined by the individual school libraries. Some schools, which double as French Immersion and English speaking schools are budgeted $3500 for English resources, and $3500 for Francophone resources.
The District Resource Center is responsible for ordering and purchasing through Baker and Taylor. The DRC keeps records of how much has been spent by the school, but it is also the responsibility of the individual teacher librarian to keep track of the annual expenses. This is due to a division of where purchasing can be allocated. Eighty percent of the budget is set aside for Baker and Taylor purchases, the remaining 20% is for local bookstore purchases.
Over the past two months I have talked in detail with three teacher librarians in the district about their reference collections, and the responses are all the same, "Our reference collections are pitiful." Two teacher librarians, are really trying to engage students with the e-resources provided by the district. They are encouraging and educating their students to access the materials from home, as well as in the school. The other teacher librarian, has been weeding out may of the reference materials due to age, and has slowly been replacing the resources. She is also trying to show students resources online, but has not been actively using the e-resources.
From my observations, it seems more onus is being put on the non-fiction materials, and less on the reference collections, due to the increasing availability of online references that are more current and regularly updated.
Lesson 10 - Bibliographies and Directories
Using the University of British Columbia Library I looked at two different directories, both with educational goals in mind. The first was the Education Research Complete. This directory allows the user to search key words and search its entire database for corresponding articles. For this search I typed in Teacher librarian. The Second article listed was Recognizing Good Information: Beyond Wikipedia, by K. Fontichiaro (2012). After clicking on the appropriate link the user has the option of downloading the entire article in .pdf format. If this option is selected, the file will automatically be downloaded to the user's computer.
The second search was with the ED/ITLib Digital Library for Information Technology and Education. This directory was much more visually appealing. The Search engine was a separate tab, and the home page was filled with information included newest e-books, most viewed, most emailed, and a join our email list option. If the user joins the email list, it allows for additional services through cite, including, but not limited to: commenting on articles and access to future ED/ITLib user-only features. On this directory I searched 21st century education, and gained access to 311 articles related to the subject.
Both search engines were straightforward to use and allowed for .pdf downloads. Both listed many resources tied to their search parameters. The ED/ITLib was more visually stimulating than the Education Research Complete, which can be beneficial to some learners, but distracting to others. Students should know what will work for them when doing searches, so as to not get side tracked when doing research.
References:
The second search was with the ED/ITLib Digital Library for Information Technology and Education. This directory was much more visually appealing. The Search engine was a separate tab, and the home page was filled with information included newest e-books, most viewed, most emailed, and a join our email list option. If the user joins the email list, it allows for additional services through cite, including, but not limited to: commenting on articles and access to future ED/ITLib user-only features. On this directory I searched 21st century education, and gained access to 311 articles related to the subject.
Both search engines were straightforward to use and allowed for .pdf downloads. Both listed many resources tied to their search parameters. The ED/ITLib was more visually stimulating than the Education Research Complete, which can be beneficial to some learners, but distracting to others. Students should know what will work for them when doing searches, so as to not get side tracked when doing research.
References:
Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the school library media specialist:
Tools and tips (2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth Books.
Assignment 2 - Evaluate a Reference
Context:
The Aboriginal Choice School library resource center has a clientele base of about 170 students, 12 teachers, 10 teaching assistants and various other community and staff employees. The library as a whole is not used to its full potential. Students use the non-fiction and fiction sections for book exchanges, and teachers access the collection to supplement classroom libraries or add books for units in science and social studies. Teachers also access the mobile computer lab through the library. The teacher librarian doubles as the librarian and the Health PREP teacher.
After surveying the staff very few, if any staff members use the library to develop research skills or use the teacher librarian for collaborative teaching opportunities. This is due to several reasons. Firstly, most of the school time is spent on social skills and having the students acting appropriately in the school. One teacher responded, “They don't enjoy the library and I don't think they act appropriately when there.” Another teacher responded, “usually busy, difficult class.” Overall, the reference section of the library is neglected and underused for research purposes.
Students do access some of the encyclopedias such as: Penny Smith’s (editor) Human Body Encyclopedia, or Jonathan Couper-Smartt [et al.]’s Marvel Encyclopedia, but these are for personal interest and done during book exchange. The Guinness Book of World records are also popular.
Evaluation:
Policies: Most of the library resource centers in School District #57 do not have written policy binders, the Aboriginal Choice School’s library included. The School District has Policies #6143.1 and 6143.2, which refer to regulations, criteria, facilities personnel, and the “Evaluation, Selection and Acquisition of District-Approved Instructional Learning Resources” (Board of Education: School District No. 57, 2008). The teacher librarian is expected to follow these policies with regards to the selection and maintenance of the library collection. The library resource center, however, is missing the general maintenance, budget, personnel, weeding policies and general procedures for the library. The policies should be addressed and completed.
Reference Collection: The print collection is quite small. The collection consists of (but is not limited to) the World Book encyclopedia sets, several dictionaries, including a French-English dictionary, Webster’s Biographical Dictionary, Canadian Encyclopedia, The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia series, The Raintree Illustrated Science Encyclopedia, as well as five copies of the Scholastic Kids Almanac. There are additional print resources including thesauri. The online and electronic reference collection includes, but is not limited to, World Book Online Reference Center, Encyclopedia of British Columbia, Prince George Newspapers, Culture Grams, NoveList K-8 Plus and the Literary Reference Center. Students are being encouraged to use the online reference collection.
Services: Currently the library operates as an area for students to do book exchanges, access the Internet using laptops or the four desktop computers. It also acts as a friendly, warm gathering place for staff and students. The library resource center is a spacious area, with several tables and all the resources around the perimeter of the library. The ‘easy read’ section has several shelves that define the space from the rest of the library and the Reference collection has two stacks that define its area, which merges with the professional resources.
The teacher librarian has not been offering collaborative learning opportunities with staff, but some teachers have voiced their interest in collaborative opportunities for teaching units and more specifically in areas of Aboriginal studies.
Rationale:
According to Ann Riedling (2005), with the exception of natural science and botany resources, most of the reference collection should have a maximum of five years before it should be weeded and replaced. “Print psychology, history, business and education sources become dated in ten year” (Riedling, 2005). While evaluating the reference collections many publishing dates popped out as being too old. A French English dictionary was published in 1964. The World Book Encyclopedias were published in 2004. A Webster’s Biographical Dictionary was published in 1980.
After discussing the reference section with the teacher librarian she indicated, it is a small reference section as she has been weeding out many of the references. She has weeded due to age of the resources and due to their updated access online. There are still resources that should be weeded and replaced due to their age and condition.
The dictionaries and thesaurus section is of the most concern. The dictionaries and thesauri range from 1964 to 1980. These are much too old for a library resource center. Every year new words are added to the Merriam-Webster and Oxford University Press dictionaries. As Riedling states, “Currency is yet another important factor to consider when evaluating dictionaries. Dictionary revision is never-ending” (2005).
The teacher librarian is trying to encourage the students and staff to access current information through the online resources, however, Riedling notes, “… that just because a dictionary is on the Internet does not necessarily mean that it is more current than the print equivalent” (2005). Students should be encouraged to use both print and online resources and develop their critical thinking and inquiry skills.
Action Plan:
1. Discuss the possible weeding of the dated dictionaries and thesauri with the teacher librarian. This discussion will focus on why the dictionaries and thesauri should be removed as well as where they will go once discarded. Riedling emphasizes the importance of removing the resources; she states, “… [W]eeded materials should be destroyed. (Personally take them to a dumpster and throw them in!)” (2005). Some schools reuse the resources from the library resource centers in the classrooms. If the resource is not usable in the library it is not acceptable for the classroom.
2. Physically weed the dictionaries and thesauri following the School District No. 57 Policy – 6143.2 and the District Resource Centre approved system: Gail Dickenson’s (2005) MUSTY – Misleading information, Ugly, Superseded by better works, Trivial, Your collection has no use. Remove the books from the Computer system, and enter them as discarded resources. Throw out the discarded resources.
3. Using Policy 6143.1 “Administrative Procedure,” identify possible dictionaries and thesauri from the Education Resource Acquisition Consortium (ERAC) (Board of Education: School District No. 57, 2008). Riedling (2005) emphasizes the importance of selecting dictionaries based on authority (suggestions: Merriam-Webster, Random House, Simon & Schuster, Oxford University Press), format, currency and accuracy.
4. Select three authorities: Merriam-Webster, Oxford University Press and Scholastic dictionaries. As stated in policy 6143.1, “For each resource that is not Ministry recommended not Education Resource Acquisition Consortium (ERAC evaluated, the teacher completes the District Resources Evaluation Form (Appendix 1 and the District Approved Instructional Learning Resources Application Form (Appendix 2)” (Board of Education: School District No. 57, 2008).
5. Send request of purchase to the District Resource Center (Attach Appendix 1 and 2 if necessary) of 2 current Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionaries ($14.93), 2 current Paperback Oxford English dictionaries ($12.64), and 2 Scholastic First Dictionaries ($22.99), or 2 Scholastic Pocket Dictionaries ($11.99) as well as one Scholastic Pocket Thesaurus ($8.99)
6. Order
Measuring Success:
Success will be determined on three factors:
1. Teacher librarian approval of removal and discard of resources.
2. Weeding using Dickenson’s MUSTY method (2005).
3. Ordering and arrival of new dictionaries and thesaurus that have been bar-coded and added to the Aboriginal Choice School library resource center collection and catalog system.
References
Board of Education: School District No. 57. (2008). Policy 6143.1: Evaluation,
selection and acquisition of district approved instructional learning
resources. Retrieved from http://www.sd57.bc.ca/index.php?id=629
selection and acquisition of district approved instructional learning
resources. Retrieved from http://www.sd57.bc.ca/index.php?id=629
Board of Education: School District No. 57. (1991). Policy 6143.2: School and
district learning resource centers. Retrieved
from http://www.sd57.bc.ca/index.php?id=629
district learning resource centers. Retrieved
from http://www.sd57.bc.ca/index.php?id=629
Dickinson, G. (2005). Crying over spilled milk. Library Media Connection
23(7), 24—26. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
23(7), 24—26. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Price, L. (2012) How does the ACS Library Help you? Teacher Survey –
Aboriginal Choice School Staff. Retrieved from
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TNHPCJS
Aboriginal Choice School Staff. Retrieved from
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TNHPCJS
Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the school library media specialist:
Tools and tips (2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth Books.
Tools and tips (2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth Books.
Lesson 9 - Maps, Atlases and Other Geographical sources
Riedling lists several geographical resources available online. I took the time to investigate two of the resources lists. Initially I chose to look at the Atlas of World Civilizations. This e-resource is no longer available. This helps to prove the importance of currency. Riedling's text was published in 2005, that is more than 5 years. Riedling's book should be re-evaluated as a teaching tool, as it does not fit the criteria for selection.
The World Time Zone Map shows up 8th on a Google search, if the name is typed in. The home page is simple and has a world map with all the time zones represented. Teacher can print off .pdfs of the map for student or classroom use. The website is easy to navigate with a left-hand toolbar. There are no extra advertisements for distractions, however, this may be visually boring for students.
The World Factbook is available in a 2008 version (whereas Riedling lists the 2001 version). The resource is available at www.bartleby.com/151/. The website is broken into two indexes: by country or by field. The countries are listed in alphabetical order and if clicked on list 9 sub-categories that address special features of each country. With each country page a map of the country is provided as well as the national flag.
Both e-resources would be beneficial to students when doing research. Riedling notes, "These reference materials are used primarily to answer location questions" (2005, 75). She also emphasizes the selection criteria: publisher (authority), scale, currency, indexing, and format. Students must have resources that are reliable and must trust that the information provided is current and accurate.
References:
Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist:
Tools and tips (2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth.
The World Time Zone Map shows up 8th on a Google search, if the name is typed in. The home page is simple and has a world map with all the time zones represented. Teacher can print off .pdfs of the map for student or classroom use. The website is easy to navigate with a left-hand toolbar. There are no extra advertisements for distractions, however, this may be visually boring for students.
The World Factbook is available in a 2008 version (whereas Riedling lists the 2001 version). The resource is available at www.bartleby.com/151/. The website is broken into two indexes: by country or by field. The countries are listed in alphabetical order and if clicked on list 9 sub-categories that address special features of each country. With each country page a map of the country is provided as well as the national flag.
Both e-resources would be beneficial to students when doing research. Riedling notes, "These reference materials are used primarily to answer location questions" (2005, 75). She also emphasizes the selection criteria: publisher (authority), scale, currency, indexing, and format. Students must have resources that are reliable and must trust that the information provided is current and accurate.
References:
Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist:
Tools and tips (2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth.
Lesson 8 - Indexes, Abstracts and Databases
Our school district has a district resource centre that manages our database and catalogs all our resources. Most of our school e-resources and databases are purchased through the DRC, and are available district wide. Each school has access but purchases do not come out of their individual budgets.
The website is accessible by teachers, students, parents, from school or in the home. To access the website, simply go to http://www.drc.sd57.bc.ca/ The tool bar on the left will guide you to the catalog, or other e-resources. School District No. 57 uses Sirsi-Dynix: Symphony as their cataloging system. Riedling notes, "Electronic formats have numerous advantages, such as rapid search of a number of indexes, the ability to move from citation to abstract to full text, and the availability of more points of access through keywords in the title, text, or a specific periodical" (2005, 87). Though Sirsi-Dynix does not use abstracts, it does allow the user to access the different resources through several different search format, as well as displaying using title, author or publisher. It also allows the user to search from the school you are associated with, as well as the rest of the district's resources.
References:
Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist:
Tools and tips (2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth.
The website is accessible by teachers, students, parents, from school or in the home. To access the website, simply go to http://www.drc.sd57.bc.ca/ The tool bar on the left will guide you to the catalog, or other e-resources. School District No. 57 uses Sirsi-Dynix: Symphony as their cataloging system. Riedling notes, "Electronic formats have numerous advantages, such as rapid search of a number of indexes, the ability to move from citation to abstract to full text, and the availability of more points of access through keywords in the title, text, or a specific periodical" (2005, 87). Though Sirsi-Dynix does not use abstracts, it does allow the user to access the different resources through several different search format, as well as displaying using title, author or publisher. It also allows the user to search from the school you are associated with, as well as the rest of the district's resources.
References:
Riedling, A. (2005). Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist:
Tools and tips (2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth.
Lesson 7 - Dictionaries and Thesauri
One thing I found interesting while observing several different libraries is the reduced sizes of the reference collections, this included the limited number of dictionaries. When evaluating one library I noticed that the majority of the dictionaries were very out of date. One was published in 1964. I would love to weed that particular library, but as it is not mine to weed, I did not have that luxury.
If I were to select new dictionaries for that library, I would be sure to observe Riedling's Evaluation process. Riedling emphasizes the importance of authority, format, currency and accuracy. Within the authority she suggests looking at "reputable publishers" (2005, 58). The format of the text is important to observe, especially when choosing for specific grade levels. The teacher librarian must "consider binding, arrangement of words, and readability" (Riedling, 2005, 58). If students can not understand the text, it should not be available in the library.
Riedling also addresses currency. The dictionaries should be replaces if they are more than 5 years old. "Dictionary revision is never ending" and therefore current dictionaries are a must (Riedling, 2005, 58). With this argument, it is clear that electronic dictionaries are an essential addition to the school library resource centre. Electronic dictionaries can be updated regularly, and new words added as they are created.
When observing the accuracy it is important to insure the spelling and definitions listed in the dictionary are correct. Students require correct data not false information. Riedling notes, "The selection of dictionaries, as well as other reference materials, should be based on the particular needs and requirements of the school, students population and community served. The teacher librarian must know their demographic before any selections or purchases are made.
References:
Riedling, A. (2005) Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist:
Tools and tips (2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth.
If I were to select new dictionaries for that library, I would be sure to observe Riedling's Evaluation process. Riedling emphasizes the importance of authority, format, currency and accuracy. Within the authority she suggests looking at "reputable publishers" (2005, 58). The format of the text is important to observe, especially when choosing for specific grade levels. The teacher librarian must "consider binding, arrangement of words, and readability" (Riedling, 2005, 58). If students can not understand the text, it should not be available in the library.
Riedling also addresses currency. The dictionaries should be replaces if they are more than 5 years old. "Dictionary revision is never ending" and therefore current dictionaries are a must (Riedling, 2005, 58). With this argument, it is clear that electronic dictionaries are an essential addition to the school library resource centre. Electronic dictionaries can be updated regularly, and new words added as they are created.
When observing the accuracy it is important to insure the spelling and definitions listed in the dictionary are correct. Students require correct data not false information. Riedling notes, "The selection of dictionaries, as well as other reference materials, should be based on the particular needs and requirements of the school, students population and community served. The teacher librarian must know their demographic before any selections or purchases are made.
References:
Riedling, A. (2005) Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist:
Tools and tips (2nd ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth.
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