If students know what they are to learn, you increase the chances that they WILL learn. - HARRY WONG
Eversince I remember doing a research for my class assignments or homework, I was always dependent on my library ID for access to the vast resource materials that only our libraries have (school library and/or public library). The school librarians have become my friends since I spent time there reading storybooks in gradeschool, then pocketbooks in high school, whenever my teacher was absent. I also spent sometime afterschool asking them to help me with my research assignments in class. I wouldn't have graduated from college if I haven't used that huge building called the UP Library beside the "Beach House" (yummy barbecue, you think it's still there?).
Now, the new generation of students has the internet to depend on with their research works. The references in the web are more wide-ranging and varied, except that it's not as organized like the books in the library. "But the flexibility of Web presentation makes new kinds of publications possible. So along with the rubbish that a Web search inevitably churns up, there are those sources which make Web research invaluable, and in some cases essential" (Craig Branham).
In this case, I think it is important for the students and for us, who use the internet often for research purposes, to be guided on how to evaluate pages for their relevance, authority, and accuracy.
One of my collegues in the National Writing Project, forwarded an e-mail to us, Technology Liaisons, on the tutorial guide to conducting research on the World Wide Web which I found very useful; I want to share it with you:
Too often students accept information that looks authentic as the truth and this is one of the dangers of Web site information. Since ANYONE can publish on the Internet, learning how to validate information is an important skill.
One of the most expedient ways to validate a Web site is to look for clues in the Web address or URL. Knowing how to recognize bits of information in the URL can provide information about a site, its publisher and its relationship to other sites. We call this the Grammar of the Internet.
(Read about it here: Information Literacy)
13 comments:
Another thing I've noticed is that students also tend to take research for granted more and more.
Accessing information, credible or not, has never been easier.
What a lot of studes do nowadays is just copy and paste information (or seemingly "relevant" bits of it) from the web page to the word processor and then be done with it.
What they usually come out with is a sequential jumble of information that was given inadequate effort to make it organized and presentable.
I say so because I've noticed this among a lot of my classmates while I was in school.
Library goers, on the other hand, tend to make multiple drafts of their research, taking a little more time to see how each relevant piece of information is related to the other and thus arrange them into an ordered presentation.
I guess sometimes making things too easy can encourage people to slack off a bit.
Pasensya na po sa wordy comment! Apir Great Teacher Sol!
Tama si dre.
I used to panel sa mga thesis defense sa law school namin. Kasi puro internet/computer law ang bibibigay sa aking mga thesis for defense.
Mahihilig nga "ang mga bata" mag-"cut and paste" na lang. Minsan sablay talaga... Mahirap pa naman sa law, kailangan accurate ka talaga...
the cut-and-paste generation. very true. the internet is an invaluable source of information and mis-information as well. it is up to us adults to be vigilant that students, our children do not get misled by incorrect information by teaching them ways and techniques of validating facts and data.
that link to novemberlearning is definitely a good place to start. thanks mam sol.
i do "cut and paste" style in reaserching, but before i submit these to the one asking it, i have been proof-reading it 5 to 10 times. sometimes, friends do it for me...
hi teacher sol! your post is of genuine interest to me. as a school librarian, it is my job to teach students how to be information literate. in xavier school, we use the big six model as epsoused by eisenberg and berkowitz. it is a foreign model, but we contextualize it according to the needs of our students and goals of our school.
before we instituted this model, we had to do a lot of study on information literacy. we can not depend on the stagnant condition of philippine school librarianship so, as a jesuit school, our dept. had to initiate change with in our won environment. you see, school librarians must take a teaching role in this age of information and technology. it is a school librarian's duty to empower children to become information literate.
although we work hard to implement our information literacy skills program in xavier school, there are still flaws and gaps to fill. for one, it is so difficult to break into the psyche of teachers in the content areas, likewise their department chairpersons. parang ayaw nilang tanggapin na kaming mga librarian ay capable magturo. at ang programa namin na information literacy ay para magkaroon ng impact sa student learning. currently, only the reading dept. welcomes us. kase naman, ang information literacy ay natural skill sa reading. but how i wish that all the depts. in my school would be aware of how important this is, and that we, the school librarians are their allies. oh well, ayan, i'm ranting already.
anyhoo, let me invite you to my librarian blog. i have entries there on technology integration.
right now, we're planning to conduct a training session for teachers on information literacy and technology integration. so that, they know how to give activities and projects using online resources and ICT's. one way to prevent the cut and paste habit is for teachers to give projects and assignments that will challenge students to think on their own.
then again, there is this issue that filipino children are not being raised in a reading culture. and so much rests on reading either print or online resources...sigh.
tama nga dapat ultra careful tayo sa pagreresearch sa net kasi its very "open" - kahit sino pwedeng mgpost at mgpanggap na "authority" sa isang topic. kaya nga the responsibility is ours na - mga gumagit ng net.
DRE, the wonders of technology, it makes things easier and more convenient for us...but does it do more harm than help? that is a good question you raised here...
PUNZI, still recuperating, pero eto blogging pa rin...hahaha...pati law students cut-and-paste nalang without verification? Delikado yan, they might take a dose of their own medicine.
KA URO, yep, we have to guide these young people about what they are doing in the internet. But we are not always there for them so we have to teach them how to be responsible with using this technology. I guess the entry is true to us too. Minsan, paniwala naman tayo sa mga bad publicity na fino-forward sa emails without verification if it's true, tapos i-forward din natin sa friends natin...hahaha (nabasa ko yan sa entry ni Bughaw), di lahat ng bad publicity na forwarded messages totoo. So we really have to be aware how to verify if it's misinformation.
TOUCHKEY, I do cut-and-paste too, but I see to it to cite the reference para mababalikan ko kung mali yung information na nakuha ko.
ERUANNIE, I was hoping you'll be able to read this entry of mine. Napansin mo, I really emphasized the role of the librarians, at how students learn from them, and that they could be good substitute for teachers (sometimes better). I know, my hubby is a librarian by degree although not a practicing one. I helped him with his thesis, helped him talked to his teachers...hay! "Stage wife" ako, kung may stage mama. I will visit your blog in Library Information, it will be very informative for me now because I am working with a Literacy Coach and I am one of the panelist for a Conference that involves Literacy and Thinking Classrooms. I will go through it after the last day of school. Hectic pa, di ako makabasa, TAG lang talaga. Your comment here is an excellent one, reflects that you're an advocate in what you do. That's good, our children needs someone like you. Team up tayo sa blogging with our students ha, that's a good project that could help us both and our students very well.
LANEE, your comment is true, maganda yung link na binigay ko sa entry na 'to. It will help a researcher to spot an authentic writing/ website. It helps me, I hope this will help you too.
sa UPILS ba nagtapos ng undergrad ILS ang hubby mo? i had mine at the PNU and pursued MA units sa UPILS. Gah! i still have 12 units to finish!
get well soon. and take care!
btw, i'm attending a conference in honkong this july. it is sponsored by the IASL - international association of school libraries and the conference theme is Information Leadership in a Culture of Change. there are plenty of concurrent sesisons on on info lit.
i am excited to meet and hear carol kuhlthau, one of the plenary speakers, in person. she did seminal researches on iformation seeking strategies and information literacy.
iasl has a website - iasl.org. you may want to check it too.
i was going to tell you about eruannie or tell eruannie about your post, but it seems you found each other already =)
you may also want to spread the word on databases available at libraries. there is more that libraries can offer beyond help with searching the web and lending books. see Finding Answers Beyond Web Search
ERUANNIE, AM SO PROUD OF YOU, fellow Pinay! Go girl! Let's let the world know that Filipinos are indeed a great race. Kelan sa July ang alis mo? Let me know ha, and post pictures in your blog. Sorry, late na nakaka-reply ako, super busy sa work, at sa mga bagong entries (heheh), at sira yung bloglinker, hirap mag blog hopping. Pero bakasyon na kami, yey! Hopefully more time to blog. How's school?
VONJOBI, I guess we also found each other through you, bloghopping syempre, hehehe. And thanks for this info you gave here, you're more than a researcher and information expert...good that we have advocate librarians like you and Eruannie!
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