My readings for this week were "The Imp of the Perverse", by Edgar Allen Poe; "A Good Man is Hard to Find", by Flannery O'Connor; and "Roosts" by Zack Brockhouse. I am not sure why, but we all chose rather unhappy stories. ("Roosts" maybe isn't unhappy, but it's certainly not bright and cheery). I think that is interesting. Maybe it is kind of like the stories we tell about our own life--we never tell about how great things are, we tell about all the mishaps of life. I imagine there would be very little to say about a story where everything was happy. What were your stories like? Any happy endings?
I did notice that one of the suggestions on Vicki's handout mentioned choosing books with unclear endings, and while the endings were pretty clear, all of these stories did have some aspect that was unclear, and it will be interesting to see how the discussions go on Monday.
In other news, I have been helping out at a branch of the Detroit Public Library this week, and it has been an interesting experience. First, it has been interesting to see the difference between their library system and the Ann Arbor system, as well as to compare it to the libraries I was familiar with in Idaho and Utah. Second, it was interesting because Detroit is cutting library staff by twenty percent, and the layoffs began this week, so I received a front row seat to the cold, hard reality of the impact of the economic crisis on librarianship (although there were rumors that this wasn't the result of just the economy). So that was fun.
Really though, it was a good experience, and even though there was the sadness of layoffs, the work was interesting and I enjoyed it, and the librarians I worked with really did fit the mold Kristin has talked about. They knew the regulars, and tried to cut people a break whenever they could. It reminded me that librarians really have to know how to give good customer service, which while one of the biggest challenges, is also one of the most rewarding things in any job. Not a bad spring break at all!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Let's Talk About It...
So, I enjoyed reading about book clubs and Socratic seminars, but I also enjoyed the discussion we had in class. Some of the highlights (at least, in my opinion they are highlights):
1: I liked the discussion we had about Twilight-book club book or not. I know when I read a new book, I love to talk about it, but mostly I want to rehash my favorite parts, and in retrospect, that would be really boring for a book club. Not that you can't read Harry Potter or The Hunger Games for a book club, and in some ways, the hype may further the discussion. I mean, imagine discussing why the book is so popular, and does it merit the popularity, and what ideas are people buying into--are they sound, etc. Particularly with teens. It could really generate a lot of thought. But I do agree, that it could be very difficult to pull off.
2: All the wonderful information Vicki provided. Great website recommendations, great list of resources, great book suggestions (Delirium sounds like an interesting read--anyone read it?). Definitely worth the time.
3: The assessment review. Remember that activity? I had actually forgotten, until I reviewed the slides. But that was a really fun activity. First, I love to "edit" things--pick them apart, analyze them, etc. And in this case, it was really helpful. I get super frustrated with surveys, because I have so much more information I could provide that seems more useful than what they are getting. Looking at that survey made me appreciate the difficulty of writing them, but also made me aware of the importance of evaluating your work before you hand it out.
4: Dan the snoop. Loads of entertainment
5: Developing questions strategies. Great tips, not just for book clubs, but for any kind of discussion, presentation, etc. Long live transfer.
6: Socratic Seminar demo. One of the highlights was that I didn't get put on the spot (although, that means I'm still eligible for something else, and it could be worse). But, also, it was interesting to see the dynamics, and even more, to hear your thoughts on the Jeremaiads. Well done, and thank you all participants.
Those are my highlights, but feel free to share yours.
1: I liked the discussion we had about Twilight-book club book or not. I know when I read a new book, I love to talk about it, but mostly I want to rehash my favorite parts, and in retrospect, that would be really boring for a book club. Not that you can't read Harry Potter or The Hunger Games for a book club, and in some ways, the hype may further the discussion. I mean, imagine discussing why the book is so popular, and does it merit the popularity, and what ideas are people buying into--are they sound, etc. Particularly with teens. It could really generate a lot of thought. But I do agree, that it could be very difficult to pull off.
2: All the wonderful information Vicki provided. Great website recommendations, great list of resources, great book suggestions (Delirium sounds like an interesting read--anyone read it?). Definitely worth the time.
3: The assessment review. Remember that activity? I had actually forgotten, until I reviewed the slides. But that was a really fun activity. First, I love to "edit" things--pick them apart, analyze them, etc. And in this case, it was really helpful. I get super frustrated with surveys, because I have so much more information I could provide that seems more useful than what they are getting. Looking at that survey made me appreciate the difficulty of writing them, but also made me aware of the importance of evaluating your work before you hand it out.
4: Dan the snoop. Loads of entertainment
5: Developing questions strategies. Great tips, not just for book clubs, but for any kind of discussion, presentation, etc. Long live transfer.
6: Socratic Seminar demo. One of the highlights was that I didn't get put on the spot (although, that means I'm still eligible for something else, and it could be worse). But, also, it was interesting to see the dynamics, and even more, to hear your thoughts on the Jeremaiads. Well done, and thank you all participants.
Those are my highlights, but feel free to share yours.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Book Clubs and other eclectic items
Scratch that, reverse that. I'm starting off with the eclectics: (So eclectic it's totally unrelated to the reading, last week's class, and probably the course in general)
I just need to vent about the state of education in my home state. My brother shared a story from my mom, a teacher, about the effect standardized tests are having. There is a standardized test students take every year, but scores for all students are only kept through a certain grade level. After that, they only keep the scores of students benefiting from their special programs. The problem? If I'm a student in a higher grade, who may need extra assistance, I can only get that assistance by looking at previous scores. Which they won't have, because they stopped keeping them. Why are the people selling tests determining who gets help? Grrrr.
The other great story from my home state is that the state superintendent of education has decided that all incoming 9th graders should be provided a laptop (courtesy of the state). In theory it will save the state money, because they won't have to buy textbooks. (Really? Explain that to me...) The only people who think this is a great idea is the superintendent and a few big businesses. My brother (a senior) laughed--he said the laptops would get trashed, and no one would pay attention in class. What are your thoughts?
So, now that I'm off my soapbox, lets move on. How was class? It was a pretty good one, and I must agree, old fashioned valentine's are weird. Also, I really liked the hook questions. They are kind of like another version of story problems, perhaps a more effective use of story problems.
In terms of Monday's discussion of transfer: I don't think this was a new concept, it was just giving it a name. I think we have pretty much covered it, but I do have one more thing to say--a mini soapbox. There seemed to be some disdain for comparing Egypt to France, because France was too outdated, not as relevant, and couldn't we get something more recent to compare it to. May I point out that the point of transfer is that it isn't dated? What a great thing to teach students, that something that happened over 200 years still has relevance--that people are fighting for the same things now that they did then. Also, what a great chance to look at how the world has changed. It makes history relevant and gets us thinking about ourselves and our world. I think it is an excellent demonstration of what transfer is all about. It could also be a great theme for a book club--revolutions throughout time. (groan--cheesy transition)
So, I am a huge fan of reading, and discussing what I read. I have been in a book club once, and enjoyed it, but I think I participate in an ongoing informal book club with my family and friends, and in the context of SI and classes, with colleagues and peers. I think that Hoffert's article presented some great suggestions for libraries in terms of book clubs, and the untapped potential for these groups. The thought that just popped into my head is, "What would a thematic Socratic Seminar look like?" Could be interesting.
The Socratic Seminar readings were also interesting. Okay, I confess, Metzger's was interesting. Tredway's was informative, but a little drier. (And, it really wasn't that dry, so what am I complaining about?) I wasn't completely sold on the idea after Tredway--I mean, it has value, and that is clear, but what really sold me was Metzger's application. I love the way Metzger made the Socratic Seminar work for what she needed. Not only were students gaining new insight and knowledge about literature, they were learning to read a wide variety of texts and comprehend them. They were learning how to deconstruct an argument, how to think and form ideas--reading skills, yes, but also thinking skills. Sweet! And, I must say, what an intimidating undertaking. This type of experience requires a lot of trust and openness. Metzger was asking her students to put themselves on the line, and fortunately they rose to the challenge, with really amazing results. Would it work in every setting? I don't know. Could you conduct a Socratic Seminar with first graders focusing on sounding out words? Maybe, but do first graders have the attention span and cognitive ability to pull off that type of thing? I really don't know.
As I read, my general impression was a Socratic Seminar has a more specific purpose, a more educationally oriented intent, than a book club, which is more relaxed and less structured in terms of purpose. I think the discussion that takes place can be quite similar, depending on the book club members, and I wouldn't discount the ability of book clubs to have a profound effect on the thinking and reading skills of participants. In that regard, the two formats are quite similar: they encourage collaboration, open discussion in non-hostile (ideally) environments, and you get to read awesome stuff.
In summation, fabulous readings, valuable suggestions, ideas and insights, and now I really want to read a good book and talk about it with someone. (Just started Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins. One step down...)
I just need to vent about the state of education in my home state. My brother shared a story from my mom, a teacher, about the effect standardized tests are having. There is a standardized test students take every year, but scores for all students are only kept through a certain grade level. After that, they only keep the scores of students benefiting from their special programs. The problem? If I'm a student in a higher grade, who may need extra assistance, I can only get that assistance by looking at previous scores. Which they won't have, because they stopped keeping them. Why are the people selling tests determining who gets help? Grrrr.
The other great story from my home state is that the state superintendent of education has decided that all incoming 9th graders should be provided a laptop (courtesy of the state). In theory it will save the state money, because they won't have to buy textbooks. (Really? Explain that to me...) The only people who think this is a great idea is the superintendent and a few big businesses. My brother (a senior) laughed--he said the laptops would get trashed, and no one would pay attention in class. What are your thoughts?
So, now that I'm off my soapbox, lets move on. How was class? It was a pretty good one, and I must agree, old fashioned valentine's are weird. Also, I really liked the hook questions. They are kind of like another version of story problems, perhaps a more effective use of story problems.
In terms of Monday's discussion of transfer: I don't think this was a new concept, it was just giving it a name. I think we have pretty much covered it, but I do have one more thing to say--a mini soapbox. There seemed to be some disdain for comparing Egypt to France, because France was too outdated, not as relevant, and couldn't we get something more recent to compare it to. May I point out that the point of transfer is that it isn't dated? What a great thing to teach students, that something that happened over 200 years still has relevance--that people are fighting for the same things now that they did then. Also, what a great chance to look at how the world has changed. It makes history relevant and gets us thinking about ourselves and our world. I think it is an excellent demonstration of what transfer is all about. It could also be a great theme for a book club--revolutions throughout time. (groan--cheesy transition)
So, I am a huge fan of reading, and discussing what I read. I have been in a book club once, and enjoyed it, but I think I participate in an ongoing informal book club with my family and friends, and in the context of SI and classes, with colleagues and peers. I think that Hoffert's article presented some great suggestions for libraries in terms of book clubs, and the untapped potential for these groups. The thought that just popped into my head is, "What would a thematic Socratic Seminar look like?" Could be interesting.
The Socratic Seminar readings were also interesting. Okay, I confess, Metzger's was interesting. Tredway's was informative, but a little drier. (And, it really wasn't that dry, so what am I complaining about?) I wasn't completely sold on the idea after Tredway--I mean, it has value, and that is clear, but what really sold me was Metzger's application. I love the way Metzger made the Socratic Seminar work for what she needed. Not only were students gaining new insight and knowledge about literature, they were learning to read a wide variety of texts and comprehend them. They were learning how to deconstruct an argument, how to think and form ideas--reading skills, yes, but also thinking skills. Sweet! And, I must say, what an intimidating undertaking. This type of experience requires a lot of trust and openness. Metzger was asking her students to put themselves on the line, and fortunately they rose to the challenge, with really amazing results. Would it work in every setting? I don't know. Could you conduct a Socratic Seminar with first graders focusing on sounding out words? Maybe, but do first graders have the attention span and cognitive ability to pull off that type of thing? I really don't know.
As I read, my general impression was a Socratic Seminar has a more specific purpose, a more educationally oriented intent, than a book club, which is more relaxed and less structured in terms of purpose. I think the discussion that takes place can be quite similar, depending on the book club members, and I wouldn't discount the ability of book clubs to have a profound effect on the thinking and reading skills of participants. In that regard, the two formats are quite similar: they encourage collaboration, open discussion in non-hostile (ideally) environments, and you get to read awesome stuff.
In summation, fabulous readings, valuable suggestions, ideas and insights, and now I really want to read a good book and talk about it with someone. (Just started Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins. One step down...)
Saturday, February 12, 2011
I'd like to make a transfer...
I think the highlight of class this week was its applicability to another class I'm in, which entails a group project and conducting research (it's very 501-ish in a way) in an organization. We are basically trying to assess a program to see how effective it is, and so the advice about conducting surveys was extremely timely and helpful. Does that count as transfer? (For a minute, I started to wonder if I had mixed the two classes up and was writing about the wrong class for this post!)
Another memorable moment was the McGonigal video. I don't know that I agree with everything she said. I'm definitely not going to start playing thousands of hours in online games, but I thought the results of the online gaming experience were interesting, and I think that the idea here is, again, transfer. Take those same skills and use them in a different setting.
Which is a terrific lead-in to this weeks reading, which I really enjoyed. There was a lot of good stuff in there, but I assume you all did the reading and are writing about it as well, and I am going to try to avoid repeating the textbook. But there are a few things that did get me thinking that I want to mention.
First, how many of you remember the scenario where college students were given a problem about a general and a fortress? The general has to decide how to take the fortress without setting of the mines and blowing up the roads, and the solution is to divide the army and send them in a few at a time. Then the students are given the tumor scenario, and most of them couldn't make the connection between the two automatically. Was anyone else kind of surprised by that? I definitely was, and my first reaction was, "Seriously? They couldn't figure it out without someone telling them that the general problem could help solve the tumor problem?" Then I started thinking about it. To give them the benefit of the doubt, it doesn't specify how much time had passed between receiving the problems, and time is a consideration in transfer. But more importantly, I was reading this problem laid out on one page, in the context of transfer. If I hadn't been able to make the connection, then I would expect expulsion from SI, and from a master's program in general. And while I would certainly hope that I would be able to make the connection on my own, if there was no context, and I was just handed these two problems with no explanation of why, maybe it wouldn't be as obvious. Which just goes to show that context really is significant in transfer.
The other section that really caught my eye in the How People Learn reading was the discussion on transfer and cultural practices. Quick story to illustrate. I was at my sister's, and her husband was playing Superbowl ads, including this one Tommy Chevy Silverado. I made a comment about how younger kids probably wouldn't get the reference to Lassie, and my sister said, "Oh!" She'd thought it was funny before, but now that she watched it from that reference point, it was even funnier. But someone who didn't know about Lassie would probably find it absolutely idiotic and would miss a whole dimension of meaning.
So, this story is a good illustration of background knowledge and the role it plays in transfer, but it really does illustrate cultural practices, too. Because we have this world where we make references to things all the time--like the pumpkin pie story--without even thinking about it. And if you want people to make connections from what they learn in one setting to other settings, they have to understand what they learn, and if you drop a whole bunch of cultural references in there, they aren't going to get it. Where we live in such a diverse society, we as librarians definitely need to be aware of that, especially as we do things like reference interviews or workshops or webinars, etc. And, as the text noted, this goes beyond references to TV shows or phrases we use in our language. Different cultures communicate differently. They teach differently. And to be able to assess real understanding and ability to transfer, that needs to be accounted for to some degree.
I think this idea of transfer also really highlights what the essence of learning is. It isn't memorization or regurgitation of facts. Accepting this view will create value for formative assessment along with the summative assessment. The McTighe and Wiggins article emphasizes this view of learning when they describe the goal of high school education. Of course, in reality, its not as easy to do all of this--it's worthwhile and important, but not necessarily easy. And I think librarians can really help out here, by doing our best to give people transferable skills and knowledge, to help them identify that pattern and skill, so that the responsibility of the teacher is shared. That being said, this article did make me wonder how we would define the role of grade school and junior high/middle school. Just out of curiosity. Any thoughts?
To wrap up, transfer is really an awesome thing. Not just in the abstract sense, but for the learner who starts to make connections, who can transfer knowledge and abilities from one setting to another, that is a cool experience. It is empowering and it really does change the world for them. Pretty amazing, wouldn't you agree?
Another memorable moment was the McGonigal video. I don't know that I agree with everything she said. I'm definitely not going to start playing thousands of hours in online games, but I thought the results of the online gaming experience were interesting, and I think that the idea here is, again, transfer. Take those same skills and use them in a different setting.
Which is a terrific lead-in to this weeks reading, which I really enjoyed. There was a lot of good stuff in there, but I assume you all did the reading and are writing about it as well, and I am going to try to avoid repeating the textbook. But there are a few things that did get me thinking that I want to mention.
First, how many of you remember the scenario where college students were given a problem about a general and a fortress? The general has to decide how to take the fortress without setting of the mines and blowing up the roads, and the solution is to divide the army and send them in a few at a time. Then the students are given the tumor scenario, and most of them couldn't make the connection between the two automatically. Was anyone else kind of surprised by that? I definitely was, and my first reaction was, "Seriously? They couldn't figure it out without someone telling them that the general problem could help solve the tumor problem?" Then I started thinking about it. To give them the benefit of the doubt, it doesn't specify how much time had passed between receiving the problems, and time is a consideration in transfer. But more importantly, I was reading this problem laid out on one page, in the context of transfer. If I hadn't been able to make the connection, then I would expect expulsion from SI, and from a master's program in general. And while I would certainly hope that I would be able to make the connection on my own, if there was no context, and I was just handed these two problems with no explanation of why, maybe it wouldn't be as obvious. Which just goes to show that context really is significant in transfer.
The other section that really caught my eye in the How People Learn reading was the discussion on transfer and cultural practices. Quick story to illustrate. I was at my sister's, and her husband was playing Superbowl ads, including this one Tommy Chevy Silverado. I made a comment about how younger kids probably wouldn't get the reference to Lassie, and my sister said, "Oh!" She'd thought it was funny before, but now that she watched it from that reference point, it was even funnier. But someone who didn't know about Lassie would probably find it absolutely idiotic and would miss a whole dimension of meaning.
So, this story is a good illustration of background knowledge and the role it plays in transfer, but it really does illustrate cultural practices, too. Because we have this world where we make references to things all the time--like the pumpkin pie story--without even thinking about it. And if you want people to make connections from what they learn in one setting to other settings, they have to understand what they learn, and if you drop a whole bunch of cultural references in there, they aren't going to get it. Where we live in such a diverse society, we as librarians definitely need to be aware of that, especially as we do things like reference interviews or workshops or webinars, etc. And, as the text noted, this goes beyond references to TV shows or phrases we use in our language. Different cultures communicate differently. They teach differently. And to be able to assess real understanding and ability to transfer, that needs to be accounted for to some degree.
I think this idea of transfer also really highlights what the essence of learning is. It isn't memorization or regurgitation of facts. Accepting this view will create value for formative assessment along with the summative assessment. The McTighe and Wiggins article emphasizes this view of learning when they describe the goal of high school education. Of course, in reality, its not as easy to do all of this--it's worthwhile and important, but not necessarily easy. And I think librarians can really help out here, by doing our best to give people transferable skills and knowledge, to help them identify that pattern and skill, so that the responsibility of the teacher is shared. That being said, this article did make me wonder how we would define the role of grade school and junior high/middle school. Just out of curiosity. Any thoughts?
To wrap up, transfer is really an awesome thing. Not just in the abstract sense, but for the learner who starts to make connections, who can transfer knowledge and abilities from one setting to another, that is a cool experience. It is empowering and it really does change the world for them. Pretty amazing, wouldn't you agree?
Saturday, February 5, 2011
In tribute
This week's reading got me in a reflective mood. First off, I've been thinking about our last class, and I confess, I appreciate the group discussion. It's a great way to get to know people, which for shy, little ole me is pretty terrific.
I am also impressed with the deviousness of Kristin. How slyly she put into practice this week's reading. Scratching your head? Well, do you recall our sandwich evaluations of our classmates' screencasts? It kind of resonates with the idea Sadler discussed, that learners need to have experience evaluating in order to learn to self-monitor? Sneaky, sneaky...
Speaking of Sadler's article, I would sum it up this way: Give a man a grade, you've impacted him for a day. Teach a man to self-monitor, you've impacted them for life. Well, you know how the old fish saying goes. This is what went through my mind as formative assessment was discussed. The whole idea is to give feedback that changes the learner's ability to change their own performance. That is an amazing gift to give a learner. So, how can I as a public librarian or archivist or special collections librarian give patrons that gift? That's the real question. There is so little time to interact with them. Any ideas? What are your thoughts?
Now, moving on to the nostalgic phase of my post. The introduction to chapter 6 in How People Learn: "The Design of Learning Environments", talked about how the real change in education is in our expectations, rather than the quality. This was very encouraging, and it made me think back on my education. It wasn't anything special, and I don't know that they had so much focus on methods and environments, and such--teachers taught, you took tests and did assignments, and that was that. And I think I got a good education. I think it was definitely the best education for me. But reading this introduction also made me realize that maybe education is a lot better for a lot of other people now. Sure, it's still not perfect, but maybe it isn't the disaster we think it is.
I also began thinking of the learning environments. The chapter highlighted 4 different environments, and as I read about Community-Centered Environments, I felt a great need to pay tribute to my family, who provided me with a great learning environment to grow up in. Thank you, thank you, my dear family. My mom currently works with kindergartners, and I have other friends who are in education, and frequently, I hear stories that indicate lack of support from the home. Of course, this can't be considered representative--I don't hear about every student in the class--but based on my own experience of a learning-centered family environment, I know this makes a huge difference.
Another element of the Community-centered environment that caught my attention was connecting to the broader community. It's pretty foreign to me to not apply what I learned in school to life and vice versa. When I was in high school, I had a physics teacher that would write tests that had problems like, "An Olympic long jumper is trapped on the roof of a building that's on fire." Then we had to figure out all the physics of getting him onto the roof of the next building. His tests always had at least a couple of problems like that. Very real life application-ish. During my freshman year at college, I drove my roommates nuts by telling them all the things that couldn't actually have happened in the movie we were watching because of physics. And, (another tribute to family) it is dangerous to get any of my siblings talking about what we've read or studied or anything, because we can't stop talking, and we drag the conversation everywhere--school, work, home life, everywhere. So, I really do have a point, and here it is. Community-centered learning takes a community, and it can also give meaning to all that learning we do.
But it takes more than just a community-centered environment. An Assessment-Centered environment is also important, especially assessment meant to improve performance--yes, formative assessment. I think this is a positive change in education. I think it's terrific that alternate forms of assessment are taking hold. I have known friends who felt inferior because they didn't do well on tests, even though they were the ones who were teaching me how to do the homework. It thrills me that tests are no longer the only form of assessment.
Add to that the knowledge-centered environment. I think this is the environment that we most associate with school--fill those children's heads with knowledge. If you leave this environment out of the picture, what are you really doing? This also seems the easiest to accomplish--we know what we are supposed to teach. But to really manage this environment effectively, it needs to go hand in hand with assessment, to make sure there is real knowledge acquisition, and community-centered, to make sure that knowledge has meaning.
Last but not least is the learner-centered environment. This is finding out where the learner is at. This will shape the knowledge we give them. A community-centered environment will help in determining where the learner is at--how they see the world and interpret things. It can give background. It also draws on assessment--we have to find out what learners know and understand and need to know somehow.
Now that we have completed that terrific rundown of the reading, how does it apply outside of a school environment? As mentioned when discussing one-shot workshops, anytime we're teaching, be it a workshop or a class or a screencast, we should consider the learners needs, and assess their knowledge. We also need to give them an environment they feel comfortable in, give them a community, and that can happen in any setting--a library, an archive, or even a webinar. And then we can move forward and get them the knowledge they need.
So, there is my take on formative assessment and learning environments. hope my spin is in there somewhere. Thank you for sticking it out to the end.
I am also impressed with the deviousness of Kristin. How slyly she put into practice this week's reading. Scratching your head? Well, do you recall our sandwich evaluations of our classmates' screencasts? It kind of resonates with the idea Sadler discussed, that learners need to have experience evaluating in order to learn to self-monitor? Sneaky, sneaky...
Speaking of Sadler's article, I would sum it up this way: Give a man a grade, you've impacted him for a day. Teach a man to self-monitor, you've impacted them for life. Well, you know how the old fish saying goes. This is what went through my mind as formative assessment was discussed. The whole idea is to give feedback that changes the learner's ability to change their own performance. That is an amazing gift to give a learner. So, how can I as a public librarian or archivist or special collections librarian give patrons that gift? That's the real question. There is so little time to interact with them. Any ideas? What are your thoughts?
Now, moving on to the nostalgic phase of my post. The introduction to chapter 6 in How People Learn: "The Design of Learning Environments", talked about how the real change in education is in our expectations, rather than the quality. This was very encouraging, and it made me think back on my education. It wasn't anything special, and I don't know that they had so much focus on methods and environments, and such--teachers taught, you took tests and did assignments, and that was that. And I think I got a good education. I think it was definitely the best education for me. But reading this introduction also made me realize that maybe education is a lot better for a lot of other people now. Sure, it's still not perfect, but maybe it isn't the disaster we think it is.
I also began thinking of the learning environments. The chapter highlighted 4 different environments, and as I read about Community-Centered Environments, I felt a great need to pay tribute to my family, who provided me with a great learning environment to grow up in. Thank you, thank you, my dear family. My mom currently works with kindergartners, and I have other friends who are in education, and frequently, I hear stories that indicate lack of support from the home. Of course, this can't be considered representative--I don't hear about every student in the class--but based on my own experience of a learning-centered family environment, I know this makes a huge difference.
Another element of the Community-centered environment that caught my attention was connecting to the broader community. It's pretty foreign to me to not apply what I learned in school to life and vice versa. When I was in high school, I had a physics teacher that would write tests that had problems like, "An Olympic long jumper is trapped on the roof of a building that's on fire." Then we had to figure out all the physics of getting him onto the roof of the next building. His tests always had at least a couple of problems like that. Very real life application-ish. During my freshman year at college, I drove my roommates nuts by telling them all the things that couldn't actually have happened in the movie we were watching because of physics. And, (another tribute to family) it is dangerous to get any of my siblings talking about what we've read or studied or anything, because we can't stop talking, and we drag the conversation everywhere--school, work, home life, everywhere. So, I really do have a point, and here it is. Community-centered learning takes a community, and it can also give meaning to all that learning we do.
But it takes more than just a community-centered environment. An Assessment-Centered environment is also important, especially assessment meant to improve performance--yes, formative assessment. I think this is a positive change in education. I think it's terrific that alternate forms of assessment are taking hold. I have known friends who felt inferior because they didn't do well on tests, even though they were the ones who were teaching me how to do the homework. It thrills me that tests are no longer the only form of assessment.
Add to that the knowledge-centered environment. I think this is the environment that we most associate with school--fill those children's heads with knowledge. If you leave this environment out of the picture, what are you really doing? This also seems the easiest to accomplish--we know what we are supposed to teach. But to really manage this environment effectively, it needs to go hand in hand with assessment, to make sure there is real knowledge acquisition, and community-centered, to make sure that knowledge has meaning.
Last but not least is the learner-centered environment. This is finding out where the learner is at. This will shape the knowledge we give them. A community-centered environment will help in determining where the learner is at--how they see the world and interpret things. It can give background. It also draws on assessment--we have to find out what learners know and understand and need to know somehow.
Now that we have completed that terrific rundown of the reading, how does it apply outside of a school environment? As mentioned when discussing one-shot workshops, anytime we're teaching, be it a workshop or a class or a screencast, we should consider the learners needs, and assess their knowledge. We also need to give them an environment they feel comfortable in, give them a community, and that can happen in any setting--a library, an archive, or even a webinar. And then we can move forward and get them the knowledge they need.
So, there is my take on formative assessment and learning environments. hope my spin is in there somewhere. Thank you for sticking it out to the end.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Are you literate?
The topic of this week's readings was information literacy, but unlike previous readings, the articles were self-assigned. I actually ended up reading quite a few, all of which had some useful insights, and here is a list for your reference:
With that question out of the way, I proceeded on to my research (long live online magazine articles at the U of M library), and found some very interesting ideas.
First, there was a common theme in multiple articles about the definition of information literacy. In Anderson's article, he refers to "literacies" and argues that there are other literacies, such as visual literacy and media literacy. This raises an interesting question. Are these part of information literacy, are they separate types of literacy, or are they synonyms for information literacy? At present, my verdict is that they are subcategories of information literacy, but I'm open to discussion. At any rate, it does give one pause to consider the full scope of information literacy. Hignite's article, which delves into the result of an information literacy assessment (and has some really intriguing statistics, it was a great read), concludes that information literacy has to go beyond mere software/hardware manipulation, which provides another thing to take into account when teaching. Another dimension to information literacy is discussed in by Lloyd. In her article "Information Literacy: Different contexts, different concepts, different truths?" she introduces the idea of information literacy in the workplace, vs. information literacy in education, and points out that in the workplace, information is based on social relationships and experience, sources of information not accumulated into the the standard definition of information literacy, but I think Lloyd has a valid point. There are more sources of information than just books and computers.
The meta-competency article by Lloyd then questions whether the information literacy learned in the academic realm is transferable to other arenas. For example, if I can write a research report for a class, does that also mean I can solve a technical problem in my employment? I like to think I am informational literate--this is an unverified claim, I've never taken a test or anything, and I do have moments when I wonder about my informational skills. But, I think overall, I am information literate. And I think that there are foundational skills that do transfer from field to field. Sure, there are others that don't carry over, but I think that they probably build on some of these foundational skills, which makes it possible to acquire new skills. I can't prove it, but it's as good a theory as any.
The Shenton and Fitzgibbon article is good food for thought, particularly for school librarians. I quite enjoyed the opening section: how do you convince kids that information literacy has value beyond school assignments? It seems like the eternal question of education, how on earth do we convince these kids that this matters. Good luck to all of you seeking an answer. Let me know if you find it. I won't give you a spoiler, but they do have some good suggestions to help.
They article also raise another interesting point. Can information literacy be taught independent of other subjects? That is to say, can we just go in and teach Information Literacy 101? Or does it have to be in the context of other subjects? I'm interested in opinions and thoughts. I think some skills could be taught or enhanced independently. But some things you learn best by doing, and may be taught best in conjunction with other subjects. I really don't know. Anyone else have any thoughts?
As you can see, there is a lot to explore in information literacy. I figured I would check out a few articles and pick the three that were most interesting--clearly that didn't work. I do hope that there has been something interesting for you to consider in my lengthy recap, and feel free to contribute your insights as well!
- Hignite, Michael, Ph.D. et al. "Information Literacy Assessment: Moving Beyond Computer Literacy". College Student Journal Vol. 43, Issue 3. Date: 09/01/2009 Start Page: 81
- Shenton, Andrew K. and Megan Fitzgibbons. "Making information literacy relevant". Library Review Vol. 59, Issue 3. Date: 03/01/2010 Start Page: 165.
- Lloyd, Annemaree. "Information Literacy : The Meta-Competency of the Knowledge Economy? An Exploratory Paper". Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 2003 35: 87, http://lis.sagepub.com
- Lloyd, Annemaree. "Information literacy : Different contexts, different concepts, different truths?"Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 2005 37: 82
- Anderson, Byron(2008) 'Information “Literacies”', Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, 26: 2, 63 — 65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J103v26n02_05
With that question out of the way, I proceeded on to my research (long live online magazine articles at the U of M library), and found some very interesting ideas.
First, there was a common theme in multiple articles about the definition of information literacy. In Anderson's article, he refers to "literacies" and argues that there are other literacies, such as visual literacy and media literacy. This raises an interesting question. Are these part of information literacy, are they separate types of literacy, or are they synonyms for information literacy? At present, my verdict is that they are subcategories of information literacy, but I'm open to discussion. At any rate, it does give one pause to consider the full scope of information literacy. Hignite's article, which delves into the result of an information literacy assessment (and has some really intriguing statistics, it was a great read), concludes that information literacy has to go beyond mere software/hardware manipulation, which provides another thing to take into account when teaching. Another dimension to information literacy is discussed in by Lloyd. In her article "Information Literacy: Different contexts, different concepts, different truths?" she introduces the idea of information literacy in the workplace, vs. information literacy in education, and points out that in the workplace, information is based on social relationships and experience, sources of information not accumulated into the the standard definition of information literacy, but I think Lloyd has a valid point. There are more sources of information than just books and computers.
The meta-competency article by Lloyd then questions whether the information literacy learned in the academic realm is transferable to other arenas. For example, if I can write a research report for a class, does that also mean I can solve a technical problem in my employment? I like to think I am informational literate--this is an unverified claim, I've never taken a test or anything, and I do have moments when I wonder about my informational skills. But, I think overall, I am information literate. And I think that there are foundational skills that do transfer from field to field. Sure, there are others that don't carry over, but I think that they probably build on some of these foundational skills, which makes it possible to acquire new skills. I can't prove it, but it's as good a theory as any.
The Shenton and Fitzgibbon article is good food for thought, particularly for school librarians. I quite enjoyed the opening section: how do you convince kids that information literacy has value beyond school assignments? It seems like the eternal question of education, how on earth do we convince these kids that this matters. Good luck to all of you seeking an answer. Let me know if you find it. I won't give you a spoiler, but they do have some good suggestions to help.
They article also raise another interesting point. Can information literacy be taught independent of other subjects? That is to say, can we just go in and teach Information Literacy 101? Or does it have to be in the context of other subjects? I'm interested in opinions and thoughts. I think some skills could be taught or enhanced independently. But some things you learn best by doing, and may be taught best in conjunction with other subjects. I really don't know. Anyone else have any thoughts?
As you can see, there is a lot to explore in information literacy. I figured I would check out a few articles and pick the three that were most interesting--clearly that didn't work. I do hope that there has been something interesting for you to consider in my lengthy recap, and feel free to contribute your insights as well!
My first, but not last, attempt at screencasting
So, here is a link to my first ever (and hopefully worst!) screencast:
643 Screencast
I must say, I will probably never have a career as a narrator. And probably not as a director-maybe assistant director, or maybe I just need to direct someone other than myself. I will say, I have gained a new empathy for all the really lousy YouTube videos we watched in class. This is not to say I didn't like the assignment. I did, and I think it is a terrific assignment. It was just kind of stressful for me. Why, you ask? (Or maybe you don't ask, and are hoping not to find out. Sorry) Well, for just a few reasons.
For example, topic selection. This probably should have been very easy, but everything I thought of seemed so redundant or self-explanatory. I didn't actually look, but I imagine there are about a thousand tutorials on photo editing, or blogging, or wiki-ing (I know, not a word). I really wanted to do something that wasn't adding to the already abundant collection. And then, everything I thought of seemed so obvious, including the topic I finally chose, which was checking out audio and digital books online. Who is actually going to be doing that? Most likely people who already know how to navigate a computer. I ended up banking on the fact that somewhere out there is someone whose children bought them a kindle or mp3 player for their birthday and they have no idea what to do with it. I also convinced myself not to worry about what tutorials already existed. I did discover that there are a lot of cool tools out there though (including one called crocodoc, which has been a lifesaver this weekend! Yay for unforeseen perks of homework).
I also discovered some screencasting problems that we didn't mention in class. For example, I found I have a tendency to play around with the mouse, which doesn't go over well in a screencast. And I had to remind myself to balance professional and natural, and to hit my key points (it's hard to read a script when you have to watch a screen, after all). I also realized that not all topics lend themselves to all teaching strategies - for example, it was hard to draw connections and demonstrate transferability with my topic, and the limited timing didn't help. The big lesson here was that a five-minute screencast takes much longer than 5 minutes to prepare. (Although you may not believe it from watching my screencast...but I really did spend more than 5 minutes on it).
But, on the bright side, we learn from mistakes as much as we do from success, and I definitely learned a lot. I have a great new tool at my disposal, and a nice long list of what-not-to-do's. As far as learning and getting experience goes, this is a definite winner.
643 Screencast
I must say, I will probably never have a career as a narrator. And probably not as a director-maybe assistant director, or maybe I just need to direct someone other than myself. I will say, I have gained a new empathy for all the really lousy YouTube videos we watched in class. This is not to say I didn't like the assignment. I did, and I think it is a terrific assignment. It was just kind of stressful for me. Why, you ask? (Or maybe you don't ask, and are hoping not to find out. Sorry) Well, for just a few reasons.
For example, topic selection. This probably should have been very easy, but everything I thought of seemed so redundant or self-explanatory. I didn't actually look, but I imagine there are about a thousand tutorials on photo editing, or blogging, or wiki-ing (I know, not a word). I really wanted to do something that wasn't adding to the already abundant collection. And then, everything I thought of seemed so obvious, including the topic I finally chose, which was checking out audio and digital books online. Who is actually going to be doing that? Most likely people who already know how to navigate a computer. I ended up banking on the fact that somewhere out there is someone whose children bought them a kindle or mp3 player for their birthday and they have no idea what to do with it. I also convinced myself not to worry about what tutorials already existed. I did discover that there are a lot of cool tools out there though (including one called crocodoc, which has been a lifesaver this weekend! Yay for unforeseen perks of homework).
I also discovered some screencasting problems that we didn't mention in class. For example, I found I have a tendency to play around with the mouse, which doesn't go over well in a screencast. And I had to remind myself to balance professional and natural, and to hit my key points (it's hard to read a script when you have to watch a screen, after all). I also realized that not all topics lend themselves to all teaching strategies - for example, it was hard to draw connections and demonstrate transferability with my topic, and the limited timing didn't help. The big lesson here was that a five-minute screencast takes much longer than 5 minutes to prepare. (Although you may not believe it from watching my screencast...but I really did spend more than 5 minutes on it).
But, on the bright side, we learn from mistakes as much as we do from success, and I definitely learned a lot. I have a great new tool at my disposal, and a nice long list of what-not-to-do's. As far as learning and getting experience goes, this is a definite winner.
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