Research process model

                                        
After a two-year process led by our librarians, our school is getting fairly close to adopting a common research process model.

Our intent is to develop a recursive model that may guide our students through the process of becoming effective researchers. 

We've incorporated four Cs that are important to our school:  to think Critically, Communicate effectively, Collaborate purposely, and to Create meaningfully as well as the Practices of Definitive Preparation and the philosophy of the writing process.

The model will be used K-12, but younger students will use only the verbs and the guiding questions.  We're hoping to come up with a graphic design that will better illustrate the recursive nature of the process, but for now we're concentrating on getting the wording just right.

What do you think?  Is the model clear and easy to understand?  Does it accurately reflect the process of research?  Have we succeeded in the right amount of detail--not too much or too little?  Your comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome!

Is your library conducive for collaboration?

The collaboration we learned about in library school involves librarian-to-teacher planning.

But as our curriculums change to keep pace, collaboration is a valued skill for students.  In The Global Achievement Gap, Dr. Tony Wagner, co-director of Harvard's Change Leadership Group, identifies collaboration as one of seven survival skills critical to student success.

What can we do so that our libraries encourage student-to-student collaboration?

1.  Arrange furniture so small groups of students can easily work together.
2.  Allow productive noise.
3.  Work with your tech folks to allow students to bring their own devices.
4.  Establish relationships with students so they feel free to come to the library to work on projects as time allows.
5.  Ensure that the library is open before and after school and during lunch.
6.  Provide materials students may need.  This may range from up-to-date online resources to basic supplies.
7.  If space allows, set up a production lab so students may design and edit projects.  This could be a small office or workroom converted for this purpose.
8.  Collaborate with teachers to encourage projects that are process-based, inquiry-driven, and collaborative in nature.

Because students are social, collaboration is natural to them.  As students work together in our libraries, we may be able to observe skills that will help us improve our collaboration with teachers!

What other suggestions do you have to encourage collaboration among students in your library?

What does a 21st century school library look like?

For the past year or so, it's been impossible to open a professional journal or attend a conference without hearing about 21st century libraries.  And it's 2010...

 If our library godmother from the earlier post would appear, we'd have her whoosh all our libraries into the 21st century.  Since budget and buy-in are realistic constraints, we will concede to slower march toward change.  BUT that doesn't mean we can't get behind and push!

Normally when we talk about moving our libraries into the future, we discuss the changing formats of our collections and how we can collaborate to ensure that our students master new learning standards. 

But as they often do, my esteemed colleagues of the North Texas Area Library Administrators group (NTALA) raised my level of thinking.  At a recent meeting, we discussed 21st century library observables.

What I love about this idea is that it allows us to break this HUGE topic of transforming our libraries into smaller chunks. 


Coppell MS West

So, let's look at just this one piece from the collective eyes of many librarians whom I will credit at this end of this post...

What could we SEE in a 21st century school library?

(Not necessarily in order of importance.  Some typical items have been omitted in the interest of brevity.)

*A visually appealing and welcoming space
*Energized, productive activity of student and staff users
*Wireless laptops, netbooks, iPads, and other devices, which may edge out desktop computers
*Tables and seating that allow for flexible grouping
*Self check out which frees the librarian for professional duties
*Ubiquitous technology for learning and teaching
*Charging station for various devicees
*Download station for ebooks and audiobooks
*Large flat screen TV muted and tuned to news
*Flexible areas of the library which may allow for instruction, presentation, collaboration, quiet reading, and social interaction
*Digital production lab that can be closed to allow for creation of podcasts, book trailers, taped presentations, and other digital products
*Attractive displays, good lighting, intelligent signage, comfortable chairs, and standing OPAC/info stations
*Professional area with space and materials for teacher work, collaboration with librarian, and conferences
*Slimmer reference collection as online tools grow
*Vibrant print collection to support pleasure reading, browsing, and study
*And finally...a smiling, helpful, available, willing, and knowledgeable certified librarian!

With thanks to the forward-thinking ideas of...
*NTALA, especially Mary Woodard and Diane Lutz, for their individual contributions toward this post.
*Rose Brock (whose library is pictured), Lexanne Seifert, and Lynn Hevron, wonderful Coppell ISD librarians, for showing me their beautiful, newly-renovated libraries.
*The grandly-titled "Changing Libraries and the Future of Reading" committee of Frisco ISD librarians, and especially Ann Terry and Shelby Bivins for their individual contributions to this topic.

Now it's YOUR time to share!  What else can we see in your 21st century school library?

It's not technology, it's the way things are...

This morning I again had the pleasure of listening to library guru Michael Stephens.  It's always nice if new learning and real life match up, but seldom does it happen quite as neatly as it did for me today.

The session was over at lunch time, and I stopped at Boston Market before heading back to the office, which is about 45 minutes away.  I say that to tell you that I was out of my stomping grounds.

I ordered a chicken pot pie and water.  They gave me a clear cup for the water, and I expected the usual fountain where you push the little lever next to the lemonade for water.  Instead I found this Jetson-like contraption. 

I'll have to admit I was totally at a loss.  The big circle button said push, so I did.  Ice came out.  So far, so good.  I had no idea what to do next, so I pushed the silver lever and got a cup full of some sort of soda.  I sheepishly sat down, drank my stolen Diet Dr. Pepper, and proceeded to watch everyone else get drinks.

Either I'm slow or everyone else is a regular because no one else seemed quite so baffled as I was.  They knew that the top panel is a touch screen (ooh, cool!) and that there are literally 106 choices of drinks. 

My favorite moment came when a group of middle school-aged boys came in.  They clearly had never seen the machine either, but they did something very different than I had done.  They didn't mind looking like they didn't know what was going on.  They experimented.  They played.  They touched the screen repeatedly and went back and forward many times.  They didn't fill their extra-large cups with just one type of soda.  Oh, no.  They got suicides!

It dawned on me that the middle school boys and I were illustrating Michael Stephens' points on how the library should embrace 21st century learning. With apologies to Dr. Stephens because I won't do his presentation justice, the following are a few connections:

Michael Stephens on today's learners:

• For them, it's not technology, it's the way things are
• They are team-oriented and social
• They are curious
• Play = learning
• It's ok to make mistakes

Today's learners (and me) at Boston Market:

• It's technology to me, but not to these digtal natives
• I was embarrassed to ask anyone; they approached the machine together
• I didn't want to look stupid; they were curious
• I was getting a drink; they made a game of getting a beverage
• I was hesitant to make a mistake; they had no such qualms

How does this translate to the library?  Stephens recommends that we should:

• Break down barriers
• Explore play
• Know it's ok to fail
• Involve kids
• Encourage the heart
• Be human
• Embrace change

So please take a few minutes and check out Michael Stephens.  Play and be curious today.  Be willing to look silly.  And go to Boston Market and get a soda!