I was just reading an excellent article by Debra Lau Whelan in the January 2008 edition of School Library Journal, Cafe Society: Do School Libraries Need a Double Shot of Espresso? The article brings to the table the question of the changing needs of school libraries and libraries in general. It highlights several high school libraries that have incorporated small cafes, thus encouraging students to browse and spend more time in the library in a relaxed, coffee-house atmosphere. Two distinct and entrenched sides have opinions on this concept. One side is appalled with the idea of food services in the library, lamenting the cost, clean up, and overall image of cafes: aren't we here to promote books, not caffeine? On the other hand, more progressive librarians see it is as a way to encourage students to drop into the library. Those who have established cafes have seen new faced arrive, as well as a rise in circulation.
I, personally, love the idea. I am not the type of librarian to forbid water bottles or who goes around shushing her patrons. It never seemed to make sense to me to alienate the very group of people we are trying to attract. We WANT students to WANT to be in the library, and if that means bending some long-standing old-fashioned rules, then so be it. Of course, we don't want a big mess in our libraries, or to have coffee spilled over all of the books, but if corporations like Chapters are willing to take that risk, shouldn't we give it a try?
My husband and I have a favourite date night - going to Chapter's, browsing for books in mutual silence, and then meeting up for a cozy cup of tea at the adjoining Starbucks to discuss waht we read or purchased. The coffee bar concept is popular for a reason - it is a meeting place, and place for discussion, entertainment, book clubs, socializing, etc. One school media specialst was quoted in ths article by saying, "I wanted a place where students could read, do research, and work on classroom assignments, but also socialize." If our challenge is to get more students INTO the library in order to become familiar with and use the school library, this seems like a great palce to start.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Dictionary Dilemma
I spent quite a bit of time this week examining the reference section of my school library, with special attention paid to the assorted dictionaries. When I was growing up and going to school in the 80's and 90's, the school library always had a huge, imposing, tomb-like dictionary on a special wooden stand - we dared not go near it! To us kids, it screamed 'adults only!'
In my current situation, I agree with what many of my classmates have stated- students are not well-versed in using a dictionary for everyday use. They may have the alphabetizing system down pat, but they are not used to 'readability' factor - navigating multiple meanings, multiple spellings, word origins, and pronounciations guides that many dictionaries include. In addition, students find navigating the small print challenging, and often are convinced that they word they are looking for is simply not there.
In terms of 'essential' print dictionaries, I recommend:
1. a French-English / English-French Disctionary
2 a dictionary of word origins
3. the Scholastic Dictionary of Homonyms, Synonyms, and Antonyms (my personal fav!)
4. a Large-sized visual dictionary for little ones
(a note about the language dictionaries: I am still trying the teach my students (I am the French teacher, too, or at least that's what they tell me!) how to properly use the French-English/ English-French dictionary. These dictionaries are really two in one, and students need to understand how you use different parts of the book to look up a French word as opposed to an English word).
Many classmates have commented that the problem with dictionaries lies with the fact that students are not being instructed properly in their usage. I certainly remember, as a child, "doing worksheets" on dictionary skills: choosing the correct set of guide words from a confusing list, alphabetizing rows and rows of words, and deciphering pronounciation keys. Was this useful? I certainly feel that I know how to use a dictionary well, but did this direct (and dry) approach to student learning reach all students? Perhaps the direct teaching of dictionary skills is becoming overshadowed by the even-increasing curriculum, and the fact that online resources seem to be the wave of the future - are classroom teachers pushing dictionary skills aside for other topics? The push to integrate learning and to provide authentic learning experiences also has pushed aside dictionary skills. When the need arises, a student looks a word up in the dictionary, and, through trial and error, find what he or she is looking for...this is a good learning experience, and one that is authentic and situational, but it does not provide the student with practice and mastery.
In my current situation, I agree with what many of my classmates have stated- students are not well-versed in using a dictionary for everyday use. They may have the alphabetizing system down pat, but they are not used to 'readability' factor - navigating multiple meanings, multiple spellings, word origins, and pronounciations guides that many dictionaries include. In addition, students find navigating the small print challenging, and often are convinced that they word they are looking for is simply not there.
In terms of 'essential' print dictionaries, I recommend:
1. a French-English / English-French Disctionary
2 a dictionary of word origins
3. the Scholastic Dictionary of Homonyms, Synonyms, and Antonyms (my personal fav!)
4. a Large-sized visual dictionary for little ones
(a note about the language dictionaries: I am still trying the teach my students (I am the French teacher, too, or at least that's what they tell me!) how to properly use the French-English/ English-French dictionary. These dictionaries are really two in one, and students need to understand how you use different parts of the book to look up a French word as opposed to an English word).
Many classmates have commented that the problem with dictionaries lies with the fact that students are not being instructed properly in their usage. I certainly remember, as a child, "doing worksheets" on dictionary skills: choosing the correct set of guide words from a confusing list, alphabetizing rows and rows of words, and deciphering pronounciation keys. Was this useful? I certainly feel that I know how to use a dictionary well, but did this direct (and dry) approach to student learning reach all students? Perhaps the direct teaching of dictionary skills is becoming overshadowed by the even-increasing curriculum, and the fact that online resources seem to be the wave of the future - are classroom teachers pushing dictionary skills aside for other topics? The push to integrate learning and to provide authentic learning experiences also has pushed aside dictionary skills. When the need arises, a student looks a word up in the dictionary, and, through trial and error, find what he or she is looking for...this is a good learning experience, and one that is authentic and situational, but it does not provide the student with practice and mastery.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Wiki-what? Encyclopedias - print, non-print, useful...?
I have enjoyed the discussions about the value of print and non-print encyclopedias in our coursework, both established and citizen-built. Like others have suggested, there is little point in trying to diminish or put restrictions on the use of Wikipedia - we all likely use it ourselves, and it is hard to resist when it pops up so quickly after a google search (which in itself, is another research issue, sigh).
Again and again, we find, as TLs, that our challenge is to help guide students through information, not around it by avoiding popular sites. If we don't teach the critical site evaluation skills, students will continue to use these sites, but without the proper tools to navigate them.
Reidling (2005) brings up an excellent point in chapter six: "Many people believe that all encyclopedias are objective. This is not the case." Even with our tried and true print encyclopedias, Riedling cautions us to be aware of which subjects get larger articles, which ones seems to contain "passive or implicit bias," and have topics de-emphasized or emphasized. Really, is anything that we read completely free of bias?
Wikipedia, in my opinion, is a form of social networking - it is a forum for information, communication, and opinion. How we read it and use it is ours to handle.
Riedling makes a further great point in chapter six: "remember that encyclopedias are published as a profit venture, one way or another."
Again and again, we find, as TLs, that our challenge is to help guide students through information, not around it by avoiding popular sites. If we don't teach the critical site evaluation skills, students will continue to use these sites, but without the proper tools to navigate them.
Reidling (2005) brings up an excellent point in chapter six: "Many people believe that all encyclopedias are objective. This is not the case." Even with our tried and true print encyclopedias, Riedling cautions us to be aware of which subjects get larger articles, which ones seems to contain "passive or implicit bias," and have topics de-emphasized or emphasized. Really, is anything that we read completely free of bias?
Wikipedia, in my opinion, is a form of social networking - it is a forum for information, communication, and opinion. How we read it and use it is ours to handle.
Riedling makes a further great point in chapter six: "remember that encyclopedias are published as a profit venture, one way or another."
Sunday, October 3, 2010
A Reflection Question from Lesson Four:
"Are those of us who support both print and electronic reference sources fighting a losing battle? How do student preferences for electronic resources affect your purchasing?"
Student preferences for electronic resources have definitely affected my purchasing. I will readily admit that the reference section is generally only updated every few years, as opposed to yearly. Purchasing a new set of print encyclopaedias each year is a school library is not cost effective. To balance this, our district has purchased home and school rights to EBSCO, Worldbook, and BC Encyclopaedia online. As an Elementary school TL, I have to filter the money into items that will be used most often by the most students.
I have found the readings in Week four to be interesting and enlightening. In particular, I have been reading and thinking more deeply about the long-term usefulness of a school library print reference section.
There is a great article in Newsweek magazine by Steven Levy which discusses the possible ‘demise of print culture” (Levy, Stephen (2007). The Future of Reading. Newsweek, Nov. 26, 2007.). When we talk about the evolution of the reference section into electronic referencing, we are really talking about the greater impact of digital technology on reading in general. I love Levy’s definition of a book:
“...an object that is superbly designed, wickedly functional, infinitely useful, and beloved more passionately than any gadget in Best Buy. It is a more reliable storage device than a hard disk drive, and it sports a killer interface. And, it is instant-on and requires no batteries.”
I think it is our job to make sure students gain a similar appreciation for ALL print material, reference or otherwise, and understand its value for record keeping, historical purposes, entertainment purposes, and storytelling. That is not to say that students cannot similarly love and appreciate the swiftness and ease of electronic media at the same time. As always, it is about generating a BALANCE between sources, and to be able to find information from a variety of sources, both print and non-print.
I have recently been working with a group of grade 2 students on 'insect research.` I was sort of pleased when an electronic glitch caused one boy to realise that , sometimes, books are "way easier." He was conducting a google search on scorpions (after a carefully demonstrated lesson of using Worldbook online, the little guy swiftly logged out of that and went straight to google!) He was mystified at what he was viewing, and called me over to see "this cool video about scorpions!" I came over only to find him watching a rock video from the band The Scorpions. When we later looked up some information about scorpions in a trade book, he then made the aforementioned comment about the ease of books.
In the same way that we are discussing how electronic resources seem to be quickly causing the print reference section to become dusty and outdated, Levy discusses the advent of devices like Kindle, which could possibly make printed books redundant. Will Kindle make the publishing industry redundant, or will it simply be another device for book lovers to explore in addition to print material? Perhaps variety and options are to everyone`s benefit.
Teacher Librarian Anthony Carnovale recently wrote about his experiences as a classroom teacher new to the job as TL by stating that "new and emerging technologies are redefining the way students learn, communicate, and develop as social beings. These new technologies are, as a result, redefining the role that the library and the teacher librarian play in the development process." As TLs, we need to see technology as a logical part of our job, not standing in opposition to it.
Student preferences for electronic resources have definitely affected my purchasing. I will readily admit that the reference section is generally only updated every few years, as opposed to yearly. Purchasing a new set of print encyclopaedias each year is a school library is not cost effective. To balance this, our district has purchased home and school rights to EBSCO, Worldbook, and BC Encyclopaedia online. As an Elementary school TL, I have to filter the money into items that will be used most often by the most students.
Works Cited:
Carnovale, Anthony (2010). Practicing my Shhhh! Canadian Teacher. Vol. 7, No. 1 September 2010, p. 8..
Levy, Stephen (2007). The Future of Reading. Newsweek, Nov. 26, 2007.
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