A Source Within A Source (2 of 2)

Here is my answer to my student’s query on citations and the bibliographic data of the document he downloaded from our subscription database.

See the screenshot of the 1st page of the academic article. In the magnified circle is the Publisher. In the green circle is the Name or Title of the Journal, volume, issue number and year of publication. In the purple oblong is the author. The arrow points to the title of the article. 

Basic bibliographic entry or format will look like this: author; title; journal; volume and issue number; publisher; and year of publication. That is the standard format for any bibliography or citation. If you are following a specific citation format, you abide by its rules and guidelines. Therefore, slight changes can happen. 

Remember to use a period to separate each item in the bibliographic entry.

The Ask-Your-Teacher Librarian Service is alive and well in the Beacon Academy. The student who is asking for help is preparing his paper for the Extended Essay requirement. Of late, seniors would see me for research consultations despite the scheduled consultation done and over with. In past years, when I was the Extended Essay Coordinator, I was rarely sought out for research consultations.

That is something to think about.

 

A Source Within A Source (1 of 2)

I received these queries  from one of our seniors during research season.

How do I cite my research documents ? ( see the example of the document below) Do i base it off the websites I got it off? Are these documents categorized as scholarly projects in the citation machine? 

I will post my reply in a few days. 

With Readers and RAPers (1 of 2)

At the tail end of October, I found myself in Iloilo once more. The last time I was there was in August for an accreditation visit under the auspices of PAASCU (Philippine Association of Accrediting Schools Colleges and Universities). Being back in Iloilo the second time this year made me see where its charm lies: good food and a love for learning.

No wonder that the Reading Association of the Philippines once again conducted and ran the annual Demofest there. Around 200 teachers from the region and beyond registered in the Demofest. The venue was at Ateneo de Iloilo Sta.Maria Catholic School, a Chinese Jesuit school in Mandurriao Iloilo. Memories of my years in Xavier School came flooding back.

Since it was a brief stay, I only get to stroll in the surrounding areas. Just across Ateneo de Iloilo is the Atria Mall where local food and restaurants catering to the locals and visitors abound. Tatoy's, of course, and Biscocho House are within the commercial complex. Nearby is an old oven, a monument for Donato Militante Pison, Iloilo’s local hero who innovated and revolutionized the sugar industry. A few meters away is a strip of commercial establishments of hotels, insurance companies and, learning centers on math, reading and writing. 

This is only one town in Iloilo. The locals are proud of their beaches and places to eat with friends and family. Alongside this penchant for food, friendship and family bonding is the value and investment they put in education. During my plenary session, participants displayed a quiet engagement. At lunch, I had a book signing and demo lesson plan presentation. 

Iloilo, I shall return! 

Finding the Right Source

Miss, may I ask help in finding the right source?

This is a request I frequently get from some students, especially during research season. Before reminding them to use the OPVL assisting them on the use of the BA Library OPAC and research databases, I verify the following activities prior to locating sources of information in the library and online.

Did you understand and analyse the task or project?

Did you identify information you need to complete the task?

What important terms or words have you pulled out from the identified information? You can use them as key words for searching the BA Library OPAC, online databases and search engines like Goggle.

Are you familiar with primary and secondary sources?

If the answer to these questions are all in the affirmative, which rarely happens, we proceed to the OPAC and databases. Once a student finds a book, an article or an academic paper he proceeds with evaluation of the source, text and material. And then, citation becomes a concern. That would require another session. Another inquiry. Or, the student depends on a citation machine online.

Recently, I got bored with my pre-research interview and verification process. Searching EBSCOHost for ideas, I found a good material to further support me in library reference work and readers’ services. The Right Source is a short, easy to read article that may help me assist students in their research and inquiry. I recommend you read it too and download the file. Share it with another co-teacher and to your class as well.  

Is this the right source for me?

Not sure if this source is something you can cite in your research? Find your class assignment or research prompt and check the guidelines your teacher has outlined. Then, ask yourself the following questions about your source to see if it’s what you need:

• Primary or secondary? A primary source is an account from a specific time period. If you’re writing a paper about the medieval political system, the surviving pages of Magna Carta would be a primary source. A book written by a medieval studies scholar that describes the importance of Magna Carta would be a secondary source—this type of source provides analysis and context.
• Popular or academic? Popular sources are "popular" because they are meant for the general public. Newspapers and magazines are popular sources because they are easy to understand and widely available. Academic sources are more thoroughly reviewed than popular sources. They often undergo a peer review process, have multiple sections, and are generally much longer and more detailed.
• Neutral or biased? Examine the word choices made in your source to determine if it is objective or trying to get across a certain point of view. If it seems to be interpreting facts with a specific agenda or goal in mind, the source may have gone past a specific viewpoint to outright bias.
• Where did this source get its information? Look for a bibliography at the bottom of the work and see what sources were used. If they look credible and trustworthy, not only is your source likely a good one, but you now have a list of other reputable sources you can search for.

The "right" source for you depends on the guidelines your teacher has set for the assignment. If your teacher has asked you to see how an event was covered in newspapers, then neutral, academic sources won’t be the right fit. All sources—whether they are primary or secondary, neutral or biased—can be useful; it all depends on the type of source you need. If you’re not sure what kind of a source you should be looking for, simply ask your teacher.

Content provided by EBSCO LearningExpress PrepSTEP^® for High Schools. http://infoliteracy.learningexpresshub.com/hs/is-this-the-right-source-for-me.html

Retrieved August 26, 2019

PPT: From Questions to Answers

Understanding Information Literacy the Millinneal Way

In Retrospect: #milclicks Posts of 2017

Curating and collecting all #milclicks post I made in 2017.

#milckicks: Where it all began  The round table discussion on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) last March 2017 prompted me to review and to look forward on plans for a MIL campaign through my blog. I wanted to blog every week on a #milclicks topic but only got to do seven in a period of one year.

I will be more realistic this year. From weekly posts, I will go for monthly #milclicks posts.

Pathfinder: MIL Sites and Helpful Links Basic readings on MIL. For starters, I recommend these links and websites.

Cultural Pluralism, Libraries and MIL One of the many terminologies that struck me in the MIL MOOC I attended last year.

#milclicks: Think Before You Click Use the library bulletin board for awareness campaign and information services on MIL.

Media Literacy and Media Education Media Literacy and Media Education are kins of Information Literacy. Know more about each of these concepts and identify library practices being implemented in school libraries in your area. Begin in your learning community. Assessment and appraisal is a good start to understand these concepts.

Unit 1 of the UNESCO MIL MOOC Sigh. Another unfinished business. Let's see if I can get back to complete this MOOC.

Digital Citizenship Where I left off last year on my #milclicks blog campaign.

#milclick Activity: Jinkee Paquiao and the Belo Ad A MIL activity I used for my session on social media during the 1st National Conference on Technology in Education.

I have more library lessons and Information Literacy activities posted in the blog. I did not include them here as I will put them in one post on Teacher and School Librarian collaboration. Watch out for more In Retrospect posts!

The Lighthouse Diary Entry 5: Library Research and High School Students

A library session on evaluation of sources and note taking.

I have been reflecting on the visits of our grade 10 students to the library.

 

Nearly half of them have been to the library in the past three weeks. They borrowed books for their Personal Project (PP) as encouraged, and in some cases, required by their PP Supervisors. This is happy news for me and my staff, of course, since we see our books leaving the library and into the hands of readers. Besides, this is the first time this has happened - to have half the cohort of grade 10s use the library! Seriously. 

 

This experience is beyond statistics and book circulation matters. 

Having students borrow from the library is an opportunity for me to teach them  skills in locating resources and sourcing information with in sources. What we talked about during the library orientation comes into play. This is a different learning experience from the library sessions I conduct in the subject areas. I somehow find this more authentic as students get down to business, using the OPAC, applying search terms derived from their statements of inquiry, locating books through the call no, reading the introduction, scanning the table of contents and the index. Doesn't sound like big thinking skills but fundamental to research skills development. 

 

It is also a joy to see a few students make their own decisions having found several titles -which is better, more appropriate, nearer to the topic or statement of inquiry. And so far, we have not turned away any of the grade 10s because we have books and resources to provide and recommend! 

I am hoping these skills can further build up and be strengthened across the content areas. Library use and the application of basic and fundamental research skills are ways to establish connections in the varied disciplines. Furthermore, I think that the skills applied in the processing of printed content translate better when used in the digital environment.

What made these visits possible by our high school students are two things: support from the Academic Leadership Team who designed a learning environment allowing them to go to the library, and PP supervisors who know how to do research the brick and mortar style. A school may have a well stocked library, tech gadgets here and there (this always impress us!), innovative programs and competent library staff, but if structures are not set up for classroom-library connection, the library will simply remain a warehouse. If teachers and  the faculty themselves do not value collaborative teaching and learning, the librarian and library staff will remain an unused human resource.

 

 It is like cooking bibingka or baking bread using a double heated oven.  You want a well cooked, delicious bread or bibiningka? There needs to be heat on top of the batter and below it.

Teaching Information Literacy in the Age of Millineals

Information Literacy Millinneal Way from Zarah Gagatiga

Teaching Information Literacy to Digital Natives

Il the millinneal_way from Zarah Gagatiga

Teacher and School Librarian Collaboration: Search Strategies for Grade 9 (2 of 2)

Research Packets: MLA and APA Citation Guides

Understanding the teacher's unit plan or lesson plan helps me identify areas for information literacy skills integration. When I read the unit plan of my co-teacher, I had a clearer understanding of her learning objectives, target work study and research skills (for this instance IB calls it ATL - approaches to learning), the coverage of the concepts and skills to be learned, as well as the context of students. As I wrote in a previous blog post, our grade 9 students are gearing up for the Personal Project. The English unit plan tackles on skills in finding topics for PP, thus, the need to know basic search strategies (Boolean), note taking, bibliography and citations.

Using the unit plan, I wrote down the specific skills I can facilitate. I then met with the English teacher to establish connections and clarify scope of topics I would cover during the 30 minute library session. I made a lot of discoveries: tips and tricks to search sources in Google; worksheets that are appropriate for the students; additional sources for citation guides. I recalled past Information Literacy skills activities I had and there I found basic concepts on search strategies that helped me improve my plan. I reviewed the search functionality of our database subscriptions.

Wolfram Alpha Computes Knowledge for You

 Apparently, the English teacher and I were looking for ways to break apart a cognitive activity and repack it in a way that is easier to grasp and use. We both know that we are teaching thinking skills -- critical and creative thinking. And so, I sent her samples of worksheets I found online as well as suggestions in helping students understand their own process when conducting research at its initial stage. I shared with her search engines I found that show numeric data (Wolfram Alpha, well, it's not a search engine, really) and semantic map (InstaGrok). I suggested that students create a visual map of the task. Mapping one's thoughts help in visualizing thinking and seeing the process at work. I like visual maps and mind maps because both are techniques to metacognition.

In research, and in teaching Information Literacy, it is important for students to know where they are in the process, how they plan to meet goals and answer their research questions, and find ways to overcome road blocks. More importantly, they need to be assured that they have companions in their research.

On the day of the session, the grade 9s, eager beavers they are, were able to use the search strategies taught to them. They used the library OPAC, Googled for internet sources and, because they have bibliographic note cards, located information with in sources. It was a productive session, in general. After a week or so, students come to the library to complete the note taking task that the English teacher gave them. As a summative, they made a visual map or a mind map of their initial journey in researching for topics for their PP.

My new favorite search engine is InstaGrok!

I still have to get back to the English teacher as well as the PP Coordinator, because, I am interested to see how the students arrived at choosing a topic. So, yeah... more about research and IL posts in the future!

#milclicks of the Week: Think Before You Click

This is a photo of our library bulletin board for nearly two academic school years.

We decided to have it up way before my involvement with the national round table discussion on Media and Information Literacy. At the time me and my staff were thinking of what to display on our bulletin board, I was already concerned with the online behavior of kids, mine and my students, in social media. With the national elections closing in last May 2016, we didn't bother changing it at all.

While there are more ways to create an impact in the promotion, campaign and teaching of Media and Information Literacy, information service through announcements, infographics, fliers and brochures aid in awareness building. A variation of this bulletin board can be done through a checklist or graphic organizer. The material changes from a public service announcement to a teaching aid that prompts reflection and evaluation of content that is available in social media.

It may simply look like this:



If you think the bulletin board display and the worksheet is useful, drop a comment. Let me know what you think!

Teacher and School Librarian Collaboration: Search Strategies for Grade 9 (1 of 2)

Print sources, primary and secondary

Early in April, our grade 9 English teacher requested for a library session on search strategies and information sources. The timing couldn't have been any better since this batch of grade 9 students are preparing for the Personal Project that will start early in the first term of academic year 2017-2018.

The Personal Project is an interest based project that students in 10th grade are expected to finish to cap off their learning in the Middle Years Program. The project may take the form of a website about ADHD or cancer awareness, a livelihood program of Macrame products, a self designed fitness program, a compilation of songs composed and sung, a prototype of a drip system for a hydroponic garden, a self-help book on surviving high school life, a notebook made from recycled paper to be sold as fund raiser for a favorite charity. The list is endless and the only limitation is the student's creativity and imagination. Parameters are set, of course, and this is where the IB guides come in.

That is another story. Back to the library lesson.

Since the context has been laid down, I intended to extend the lesson beyond the Personal Project by introducing the basics, at the same time, open windows of possibilities.

What students get from the library session must be something they can use in other tasks and can be translated into skills that will further help them fashion sophisticated ways and processes of thinking. For example, learning about Boolean search strategies can lead to critical and creative thinking especially in the use of words. From simple key words, students can scale up to use synonyms for their search terms, and eventually develop a built-in, internal thesaurus. As a librarian, I may be giving them a session on searching online databases and search engines, but with constant use -- and consistency -- students, in time, can grow a vocabulary that they can use according to a subject matter; a vocabulary they can use to search for answers and derive meaning from a variety of media and technology.

Search Tips ala-Google

A basic knowledge of the most popular search engine in town, Google, can lead to an exploration of other search engines that present data in numbers, graphics and semantic web. Search engines crawl for websites, images, videos, PDFs, slides and databases based on key words used. Knowing different search engines and what information it can give back is another strategy that can grow into skills in selection and location on the appropriate use of technology.

What would make this possible is the regular team teaching effort and initiative between teacher and the school librarian. If this is impossible, at least, an intervention of the school librarian to remind teachers on the use of strategies in searching for information online or in print environments need to happen. The intervention can be done through announcements, meetings, in-service training, information campaigns in physical and virtual spaces of the library that are accessible to the members of the learning community. That is why, a matrix or a manual of research skills is essential. More on this in another post.

So where did I begin?

I asked for a copy of the English teacher's unit plan. And boy, did I learn lots along the way as well!~

The Extended Essay as Process and Research as a Journey

Pathfinder: Media and Information Literacy

Media and Information Literacy is a trending topic these days. With the rise of fake news and alternative facts, MIL is not only a trend but a relevant set of skills needed by all to survive in this time and age. If humanity is not careful, it might drive itself crazy into destruction earlier than the projected course of human history. MIL is probably humanity's key to survival.

Inspired by the round table discussion with stakeholders on MIL policy and standardization in the country today, I wrote my MIL takeaways in the blog. Because I am still inspired, here is a Pathfinder (which I intend to further develop - see, inspiration is a very dangerous thing) on MIL for oldies (like me) and newbies.

For a good start on Information Literacy, read this -  UNESCO Information Literacy For my personal experiences on IL, I have compiled them in one blog post.  The links there are more than 10 years old, but I hope it could lend you a sense of history and background information.

This is what I found as relevant on  Media Literacy  The site has a video explaining what it is as well as 21st century literacies like digital literacy and visual literacy.

For freebies and downloadables on MIL, UNESCO and our DepEd have PDFs for your perusal.  

UNESCO Media and Information Literacy as Composite Concept

Five Laws of Media and Information Literacy

DepEd Media and Information Literacy Curriculum Guide

Recognizing that MIL education is for all, UNESCO has a document mapping MIL policies across the globe: World Media Education Policy

And, if you're waist deep in MIL and its implementation in your learning community through the school library programs and services, share it with others via UNESCO's social media campaign #milclicks. Visit the website too. It has a MIL MOOC!

Workshop: Crafting A Good Information Literacy Manual

A Step Backward Before the Leap: From IL to MIL

Before pursuing a new endeavor or learning something new, I first ask myself where am I and what do I know about this new thing I wish to explore and learn. I then look at what I can do and what I am not capable of doing. I actually do a SWOT analysis. Then, I fill the gaps. 

I found out that this strategy is more applicable only in my work and in my professional life. The personal aspect is, ah, complicated. 

So, when UNESCO launched the document on Media and Information Literacy a few years back, I took it slow. No need to rush. Don't join the bandwagon, I told myself. I know better now the value of taking things slow. Fast does not always mean best and what proves to be a quick fix fizzle soon enough. 

What I did was to look back at what I have written about Information Literacy, the projects I have done in the past and compare them to what I am actually doing today. And it had been timely! Because, around a year or two ago, Joseph Marmol Yap approached me for materials on Information Literacy. I first sent him these blog links:

Updates on Information Literacy (2006)

Lesson Plan of an IL Class in the Library (2006)

The Role of the Librarian in the teaching of IL (2005)

The Impetus for IL at the School Level  (2006)

IL Instruction in Philippine School Libraries (2006)

Research in IL (2006)

Some of these writings ended up in the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) working paper for policy making and development.

Since IL has evolved to MIL, I started curating for articles and best practices write ups. Here are two links I have in my MIL Pathfinder:

Open Access: Role of Library Specialist in MIL Instruction

Teaching IL Now. Gardner, Laura. SLJ. Nov. 2016

With the tremendous changes of technology, MIL content and programs are growing in leaps and bounds!

Media and Information Literacy in the Philippines & #milclicks

Since December of 2016, I have been engaged in discussions to contribute a little bit of what I know and of what I practice in the school library on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) with the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) through Mr. Joseph Marmol Yap, being the lead librarian in the steering committee. AIJC has done a great job of drafting a position paper on Media and Information Literacy.

Yesterday, the draft was presented to a group of professionals representing agencies and institutions in the private and government sectors that have a stake on the development and monitoring of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) directions and programs. The process has been very consultative and the draft, as far as I can see and say, is well crafted. Hopefully, this position paper gets the traction necessary for lead agencies and supporting institutions to operationalize MIL in the country.

It is still too early for me to reveal the documents we read and perused, but, rest assured that we will share these developments in our sector and allied professionals. What I can share with you are my "takeaways" from the round table discussion.

Takeaway #1 - I am glad to see an initiative to develop policies and frameworks of MIL with recommended strategies of implementation on a national level. In 2002, when MIL was still IL, librarians have started learning what it is all about. It was an isolated venture. What I learned of IL over the years is that, it is effective when it is anchored in a concept, a subject area and/or a context that is real and authentic to the experience of learners.

Takeaway #2 - The consultation meetings and round table discussions were composed of representatives from key institutions and agencies in the government and private sectors. The implementation of MIL is a concerted effort and each agency and institution has a role to play. This effort is a long time coming but now is the better time to come together to redeem and salvage this country.

Takeaway #3 - When IL was still a new concept I was trying to wrap my head around it, I asked myself two questions: How can IL be implemented in the school library? What are the roles of libraries and librarians in the growth and development of IL? I see IL then as a way of thinking. It is made up of skills yes, and very cognitive at that. But such skills are best applied in daily life and in endeavors that prompt real and authentic learning.

Takeaway #4 - It's funny because, I still ask myself the same questions now that UNESCO merged media literacy with information literacy. It only goes to show that learning never ends.

Takeaway #5 - There is such a thing as #milclicks. This is a social media campaign of UNESCO for MIL awareness and development. Go check this out for yourself, because I sure will!

PLUS: The National Archives welcomes visitors!

These are but my initial thoughts, afterthoughts and reflections. There will be more to write about MIL in future posts. For now, I leave you with thie very popular African proverb. It takes a village to raise a child. The library is part of that village!

Information Literacy Strategies: Identifying Sources of Information

I felt compelled to review important Information Literacy skills lessons for our year 10 students. My session with the class on Sources of Information, Citations and Referencing had its ups and downs. It left me asking more questions about my role in general and ways I can specifically bridge gaps in research instruction and guidance. These are stuff that one brain couldn't answer in one sitting. But, working with a team can lead to solutions.

Nonetheless, I sent out some suggestions to my co-teachers on how we all can help students think appropriately of the sources they can use in academic work (and hopefully, in real life functions).

Here's a suggestion that may help strengthen students' skills in identifying sources of information for research and investigation tasks. Instead of saying or instructing students to "use a variety of sources" or "use appropriate sources" try phrasing it this way:

- look for an article in an academic journal that tells you...

- find an article in a magazine or a periodical that identifies/differentiates/presents/explains...

- a first hand account of one's experiences during Martial Law by conducting an interview, reading a journal/memoir/diary entries

- a website from a Pathfinder/Libguides/Online Directories of organizations, agencies, institutions

- a chapter or chapters on skepticism in a Philo book/ebook...

- a model, realia, map, infographic that shows part-whole relationship or systems and structures

- a case study or an experiment in a scientific journal/article

This way, we are implicitly teaching students that primary and secondary sources have their specific use depending on the tasks and questions given to them. Some students may figure this out easily, but there are students who will depend on Google and the most popular result it sends back. This technique may also help students who are new at research and inquiry tasks.

Another way of setting directions is to refer students to use online databases and search engines that are less commercial and are validated by experts in the field for their content and reliability. For example:

- look for a variety of appropriate resources using: 

          the BA Library's OPAC

          Google Scholar

          Jstor

          EBSCOHost

          WorldBook Online

          The Day

As of writing, one of my co-teachers tried the first suggestion for his class in World History last week. I still have to gather feedback. So, this kind of work never really ends.

Library Scavenger Hunt 2016

It is already a tradition in The Beacon Academy for grade nine students to play the Scavenger Hunt. I started this out with our Comparative Religions (CRe) teacher three years ago. She saw the need to introduce students to serious research in a fun and engaging manner. When she broached the idea to me, I said YES! This is a teacher-librarian collaboration opportunity. I learn from her. She learns from me. Our students learn too. We all learn together.

So, this year, a month and half after the academic year opened, CRe teacher and I scheduled the Scavenger Hunt. My staff helped prepare the handouts, the puzzles and the technology needed for the activity. In previous years, the main objective of the game was to finish the hunt and the puzzle. This year, I emphasized the importance of finishing a product as well as going through a process. These two ideas, product and process, are valuable in academic research and scholarly endeavors. Hmm... thinking about it, these are valuable life lessons.

Completing a product or a task is one thing. Knowing how it was completed and accomplished is another. The former is concerned with competence. The later is about smarts. Both require stamina, perseverance and drive. All these learning skills happen in the classroom and outside its four walls. The library, with programs and services such as this, becomes an extension of the classroom. Bless the CRe teacher who recognizes this role of the library.

 How did the students take on the Scavenger Hunt? They had fun. They used their skills. They panicked. They finished the task and they felt good about themselves.

We wrapped up the game by asking them things they learned and discovered about research, the library and the challenges of working in a group. I felt confident too, teaching along side our CRe teacher. It unburdens me in so many ways. Now how do we assess the students' learning? The skills covered in the Scavenger Hunt appear in their tasks and project in their CRe lessons. I await feedback from my teaching partner, the CRe teacher.