Objective 3.1: Efficient & Ethical Information-Seeking Behavior
Indicator: Candidates identify and provide support for diverse student
information needs.
“I Googled it.” How many times have you heard this phrase during the past month? The past two weeks? Dare I say, the past few hours? We live in a world where ‘Google’ is a verb—a world where any information we need can be found with a few clicks of the mouse. As librarians, we need our students to feel as comfortable with various information-seeking strategies as they currently are with their beloved search engine.
If students truly pause and observe a library’s collection, they will find information on virtually any topic. As a classroom teacher, I have witnessed an unfortunate situation many times—not only do my students not know where to look for information, but they also don’t know how to use the resources available to them. When faced with countless books or database articles on their topic, it is understandable that an internet search on Google becomes the student’s ‘easiest’ option. With the help of a librarian, students can easily learn strategies to best find credible information that suits their needs.
I worked with an English 9 teacher who was beginning the research unit after reading Night, by Elie Wiesel, with her classes. Her On Level classes were to research an aspect of the Holocaust, and her Honors classes were to research a controversial issue in society today. As I understand the frustration of students when they first set out to find research sources, I created two activities that provided support for their information needs. For the On Level classes, a pathfinder was used to showcase the wide array of library sources that deal with the Holocaust. From fiction books and encyclopedias, to Audio-Visual resources and databases, the students were surprised to see just how much the library offered on their individual topics. By using the pathfinder, they were nudged in the right direction of where to look for information, as well as guided towards how to make use of it for their specific purpose. Whereas before I had observed students who were overwhelmed by numerous sources, I now witnessed students selecting materials with a newfound confidence in their task. For the Honors classes, my goal was to introduce students to the database features of SIRS and Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context, which they would be using for their controversial issues assignment. Using their prior knowledge of the Holocaust, they completed a database navigation activity in which they researched Holocaust Denial. By having students use a familiar topic, I took away the pressure of them learning the databases and researching a new topic at the same moment. Allowing the students time to navigate the databases assured them that these information platforms were the perfect fit for their upcoming research. In both situations, the students were exposed to scholarly resources that were well suited for their research needs. Aside from this, they were encouraged to utilize such resources in an ethical manner. By knowing my learners, I was able to create activities that motivated students to start their research on a positive note. After viewing the success of these two artifacts, I could not imagine starting a research unit where students are simply ‘released’ to find sources on their own. When we advertise our resources and show that they are well suited for students’ information needs, we can expect a positive change in the way students view the task of gathering information. It is my goal for students to navigate the collection with ease, and use their new knowledge in a manner that upholds ethical standards. If I actively demonstrate that my library can support a variety of information needs, then my learners will discover that knowledge can in fact be gained in ways other than using Google. |
Artifacts:
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