Research Skills Session: How to Find Sources & An Research Approach

 

BALib_How to Find Sources_ThePioneer by ZarahG

Research Task #1: Using Encyclopedias

 

Research Method and Research Methodology

ePosters for Library Summer Program: Pedagogical Support on Research

 

Summer Library Program: Pedagogical Support for Research

The past couple of days was spent on research skills instruction and one-on-one consultations with our high school juniors. In a few days, we will end the Academic Year 2020-2021 but before things close, I sent out to our juniors (who are incoming seniors) a letter informing them of the library's summer program.

Dear Juniors,

As you journey further on in the EE and SP,  we, in the BA Library, will continue to support you. As your reading and research companions, we are opening library services during the summer. 

We can assist you on the following:

1. Borrowing of print books and resources through book drop and pickup delivery. Send Flynn an email for your book requests. His email address is library@beaconacademy.ph.

2. 30-40 min Zoom meeting with Ms. Zarah. We can talk and learn about the skills involved in research using your EE/SP topics as context and content. The skills to cover are:

-  selecting and evaluating sources and references - how to funnel topics, sub-topics vis-a-vis a variety of sources of information

-  discussions on citations and referencing following the MLA, APA standards

-  connecting the relevance of an annotated bibliography and gathered data when writing your first draft of the EE/SP

- others: using writing models and formatting, time management and self care

Schedule: Once a week, every Wednesday 9-11.30 AM beginning on June 16, 2021 - July 7, 2021

June 16 - Selecting and Evaluating Sources
June 23 - Citations and Referencing
June 30 - The Annotated Bibliography and Writing the First Draft
July 7 - Writing Models, time management and self care

This is the Zoom Link *****

Attached is a PPT presentation of the library's database and online subscriptions and a Quick Users Guide to the BA Library. 


Have a safe and enjoyable summer, Aristea!
 
Ms. Zarah :-)

Library Sessions at the Start of the Academic Year 2019-2020

I am preparing for next week's library orientation and research session with our Griffins. The teacher in me is excited to go back to school, officially, and meet new and returning students. Another part of me is missing vacation already. Such is life.

I will be sharing the presentation I use for library orientation next week. While there are common ideas and library concepts I will be discussing, I have prepared specific activities for each grade level. In the Beacon Academy, our small class size affords us a very personal and differentiated approach to instruction. Read this link on Library Orientation 2018 as the activities I put together last year will be used as spring board to this year's session.

What I am excited to work on this year is the Reading Without Walls Program with the Student Council. This has been our reading campaign since 2017. Read about Gene Luen Yang's Reading Without Walls Campaign that we adapted in the Academy. Here is a link to a post about the campaign and how we operationalized the it. Involving student leaders in the campaign may prove to be helpful as the program will be promoted among peers.

Lastly, as I am to meet the grade 9s on Monday, August 5 for our Foundation Week activities, I will be giving an introductory session on research.

Looking through my files, I will also be using worksheets on media and information literacy which I have made and implemented with previous grades 9 and 10 students. Links to the worksheets are here: The Old Bike and Hitler's Ghost.

Keep up and visit the blog this week as I will post how things went during the sessions.

IB Online Workshop: Pedagogical Support for the EE

The two concepts that stood out to me after reading the Pedagogical support for the extended essay were the Reflection and the EE and the Student-Supervisor Relationship.

The Reflection and the EE

This concept stood out to me because this is new in the EE. To devote a criterion for reflection only goes to show how important this is. Besides, Reflective is one of the ten qualities in the list of the Learner Profile.

Previous to working in the Beacon Academy, I was a school librarian in a Jesuit school. As a lay partner of the Jesuits in educating and forming men and women for others, it was there, among Jesuits and their lay partners where I first encountered the relevance of reflection in a person's life. I learned from them the cycle of Experience-Reflection-Action. This permeates the teaching and learning practices of the learning community.

Back to Beacon. In my first year, I attended the IB Workshop and Training required of newly hired faculty and there I met the words Reflection, Action and Inquiry. Somehow, I did not feel entirely foreign to the IB as I have prior knowledge and experience to latch on new things that I will learn from peers and colleague who were IB trained. Over the years, my colleagues have been supportive of this continuous process of learning and some of them have become good friends. Oh boy! It has been unexciting ride as there are new things being incorporated in the IB within two or three years time.

In this journey of learning continuously in the IB, reflection remains at its core. The PYP is grounded on inquiry based learning and statements of inquiry are essential parts of unit plans. To reflect on process in the EE journey in the DP, as I take it, manifest as the capstone skill in year 12.

I believe in reflective teaching and learning. I enjoy reflection even though it is difficult to do at first and it is not akin to the Filipino psyche and culture. Reflection is something we need to consciously learn and teach. Despite the challenge, there are techniques to use and apply to help students (and teachers) become reflective learners. Once reflection becomes a habit, it is a life skill that can help a person push farther and further on in life.

This is where I find the TSM helpful, especially the section on Pedagogical support for the extended essay, because it has a slew of activities and strategies that prompts, helps and aids supervisors and students reflect in the EE. There are many things to unpack and set in place. In my plan of action, I included a Research Writing (RW) workshop for EE supervisors. I will add activities and points for reflection in the RW workshop that I will design with the help of my DP Coordinator and Dean of Faculty. I will definitely select and use the recommended activities in the TSM’s Pedagogical support for the extended essay.

The Student-Supervisor Relationship

Working with students in the EE for the past two years made me realise that I am building a relationship with them that is grounded on trust and mutual respect. Below is the description of what makes for a good student-supervisor relationship and the primary role of the EE supervisor. 

Taken from the Pedagogical support for the extended essay, I will keep these statements to heart:

A good student–topic–supervisor fit is likely when the supervisor:

• knows the student well

• shares the student’s excitement and curiosity about the topic

• is comfortable establishing a clear work plan with the student

• follows up with timely feedback.

The supervisor should:

• mentor the student with advice on the skills of undertaking the research process

• encourage and support the student throughout the research and writing of the EE

• guide the student in formulating a well-focused research question that satisfies appropriate legal and ethical standards

• ensure that the student understands the importance of using credible/accurate sources.

Implementing policies and procedures of the EE may appear as highly administrative. But, beyond these administrative layers, a school community needs to work together and each member has a role to play. School leaders create the learning environment and systems, supervisors teach, administer and form students as knowledgable, inquiring, principled and reflective learners within the EE journey, and parents are needed for support at home.

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!

Library Talk and Scavenger Hunt

Puzzle Time! Final round of the Scavenger Hunt

The Library Talk and Scavenger Hunt activities I had with grade 9 students last week was a good one. Both are regular activities by the library under its instructional program and the participation of a new batch of grade 9s made it different from the previous years. Students are the uncontrolled variables. Often, their context and experience make or break a learning encounter. This makes teaching really fun!

For the Library Talk, I simply provided students pointers on going about their research: what the task is; what information is needed to accomplish the task; how to go about seeking and locating for information to finish the task. There. The BIG 3 in the BIG 6 research process. These three pointers make up the crucial analytical steps of Information Literacy. I then re-introduced the library OPAC and basic online databases that the library subscribe to. I get a kick showing how cool the PDFs can get when you email it to yourself with annotations and citations.

The Scavenger Hunt on the one hand is a game where players use the basic search tools in the library. In the BIG 6 model, this is step 3: Location and Access. After the game, the CRe (Comparative Religion) teacher and I processed the experience. Students said:

- they were able to use the "websites" that the library has;
- they were able to locate information;
- they were able to see more of the library -- it is not just books;
- they got to save documents in World Book Online using My Research;
- they learned how to find books more efficiently;

The first term is about to end. While I am happy that this batch of grade 9 students have had three library visits with me, and that their respective teachers articulated the need to work with me to strengthen research skills, I hope to do more library encounters with them. We have only just begun.

Required Reading and Research in the High School Library

For the past three years, I have been requiring our high school students to borrow books from the library. Each grade level has a minimum book quota: grade 9 = 20 books; grade 10 = 30 books; grade 11 = 40 books; and grade 12 = 50 books. This means, a student who belongs to his or her grade level will have to borrow the corresponding number of books.

Through this activity, I discovered that 15-20% of the student population are readers. They are the ones who need no prodding or fancy freebies to go to the library and borrow books. The rest comprises reluctant readers and non-book readers. While it is easy to reach the book readers, I still continue the book quota project but with a strategy to help them choose reading materials. That is why this year, during orientation, I launched the Reading Passport with the hope that students are guided in their reading choices. Students favor fiction books but there the non-fiction books to read for a purpose too.

Another strategy that can be done so that reading, books and the library can be meaningful to high school students is the implementation of a library instruction program, a research education program or, an information literacy program. That, my friends is for another post.

For the meantime, allow me to share another reading-library activity that allowed me to collaborate with teachers. This time, I was in cohort with the grade 9 Design teacher. She requested me to do a Library Talk on research where in the basic library research tools are introduced. Since this was my first formal session with the grade 9s, I introduced research as a way to find answers to questions and that, it is understanding the question and the way we find the answers that makes for a successful research. I then segued to the library's OPAC and online subscriptions. View my presentation in this Library Talk link.

From here, I will move on to a grade level activity, our annual Library Scavenger Hunt where the grade 9s will use their skill in locating information using the library OPAC and online subscriptions. Yep. I am one busy library bee!

The 5th Asian Conference on Literature and Librarianship

I am registered.

My flight is booked.

I am excited to present my paper on school librarians and leadership in LibrAsia 2015 The 5th Asian Conference on Literature and Librarianship in Osaka, Japan.

Extended Essay Journey: The Research Question and the Annotated Bibliography

Librarian as Research Supervisor: On the Personal Project

At the start of the school year in August, I took on the challenging task of a research supervisor.

I coordinate the writing of the Extended Essay of our grade 12s and supervise a grade 10 student on his Personal Project.

My supervisee showing his ebook to a guest at the WIP fair.

Yesterday, my grade 10 supervisee participated in the Work In Progress (WIP) Fair of the Personal Project. Like his batch mates, he was well prepared for it. He had his booth set-up a few days before the fair. His posters and iPad were ready. I watched and listened to him speak to guests and school mates as he explained the goals of his project, the status of his project, the difficulties he experienced and how he was able to overcome them. He looked happy, proud and fulfilled. I expect to see him next week, after the Papal Visit, for a conversation on his experience at the fair.

This is what I enjoy doing the most with my supervisee. The conversations. Listening to him allows me to understand what his thought process is, how he works his way through the research process and how he discovers new insights. I am lucky to have a conscientious supervisee. He adheres to the schedule and diligently works on task assigned to him on a regular basis. My role has really been a guide and cheer leader for him as he journey on the path of the Personal Project.

I think what helped him accomplish a good presentation at the fair, apart from his diligence and discipline, are the following:

a. He picked a topic and project he is genuinely interested in.
b. He has developed a certain level of skill in crafting questions.
c. He listens.
d. He follows through.
e. He reads.

I check his online journal once a month and I am amazed at how honest his insights and reflections are. He still needs to work on his information literacy skills as well as his thinking skills (reasoning, logic, supporting a claim). This is the point of the whole exercise. This is the reason why, high school students need a research supervisor.

And yet, this experience with my grade 10 student has allowed me to grow and learn too. For one, I am taking a great interest on the iBook authoring app. Being a research supervisor makes me revisit old and new ways of servicing young people in the context of library and information science. I am also compelled to write more. This April, I will present a paper in another international conference. Reading and writing skills need to be modeled. If I want my students to respect me as a research supervisor and EE Coordinator, they must see me "walk my talk" I sit back and further reflect on the these things. Yes, competence and cognition are essential to complete a research paper or project. But there is a lot of character building going on in the process.

The Extended Essay Checklist: Student's Edition

I made another infographic using easel.ly. Yes, I am loving it!

IASL 2013: Day 2 Concurrent Sessions: Learning Commons & Virtual Spaces

Last Tuesday, August 27, 2013 I attended Ross Todd's session and Lesley Farner's.

Ross Todd presented his research on Collaborative Inquiry in Digital Environments: Cognitive, personal and interpersonal dynamics. The title is a mouthful, I know. And in classic Ross Todd fashion, the whole paper was impressive. He is also very emphatic and passionate when presenting. This man truly loves what he is doing. I often use his studies and research (Rutgers University) for my workshops and training sessions. His work on the school library's role in student achievement is one document I've used over and over again to push for library advocacy initiatives and in developing programs and services in the school library. Needless to say, research has a function in amplifying sound library practice. Practice, in return, fortifies research if not, lead researches to test data once again. It is a cycle of creating and communicating information and it is a fascinating one!

So what brought me to his session last Tuesday? Ross Todd himsel. Yep. I am a fan.

Ross Todd has been to Manila for a lecture. He loves the dried mangoes of Cebu.

 Fan girl mode aside, I was intrigued at the results of the research. While knowledge construction is important in collaborative group work, and one that is valued by students involved in the assigned work, social justice is another aspect of collaboration and cooperation relevant to students. Diversity of view points is valued as well by students, but the struggle to accept and to come to terms with differences is another issue. The discussions and responses that came from the floor were infused with energy. There was engagement.

I sat there and thought about what the research finding has to do with my work as a librarian. For one thing, I am keen on looking at how students build knowledge to construct meaning out of this. The library then should function as a learning commons where students can collaborate not just with their peers but with their teacher librarian. And learning commons is not just about physical or virtual space. More on this in another blog post.

Another session of interest to me was Dr. Farmer's Issues in Teen Technology Use to Find Health Information. My take away from this session is that, libraries can set up reliable virtual spaces where teens can seek information pertaining to health issues and conditions. Librarians can work with counselors, health care professionals to establish a baseline or a context to latch the content on health and well being issues.

I think this online health guide may prove to be a good companion to the Life Skills Collection (aka Bibliotherapy) I'm working on.