Central High School Research Procedures Notebook

Working with our English department at Central, we NOW have continuity of how to teach students how to do research papers. A three ringed binder with all items listed was given to all teachers this year so we're all on the same page. The staff was very appreciative!

• All departments use MLA the format (bibliography, parenthetical citations, format of first page, etc.)
  
• Use of the Research Project Calculator along with the Rubric with which to grade
• The vocabulary list of words used in all three areas of research, reliable resources, and responsible use.
• The Information Literacy Standards adopted by MEMO
  
• Copies of MLA bibliographic reference template sheets our school has used for five years
• A bookmark for students to access our databases away from school with passwords
• Editing symbols for students to know what a teacher is using to edit their paper
• Examples of what is "common knowledge"
• Practice sheets on how to write a thesis statement
• What is a passive and active voice?
• What is writing in first person vs. third person?
  
• The Central plagiarism policy (printed in each of their planners) and consequences
  
• The copyright policy
  
• Examples of how to paraphrase and take notes

I will bring copies of these items to our next MILP meeting. Otherwise, I can send links to receive them in electronic format.
Leslie, the Librarian

December busy time

Oh, my goodness! So much to do and so little time! I am still having FUN, though, especially with the photo booth feature!
Leslie, the Librarian

MEMOlist serve is full of ideas

Media Specialists subscribe to several listserves, locally and nationally. Sometimes, they bog you down with WAY too many email posts. You can narrow your search area to include just high school, for instance. Here is one of the latest hits from MEMOlist (Minnesota) that I found interesting and passed it on to the staff @ Central HS. Check out the link at the bottom of this post to see great video clips available in all subjects areas.
From Leslie, the Media Specialist

From eSchoolNews "Tools for Schools" for 11/21/07:
Tue, Nov 20, 2007
Public television station WGBH opens its vault to educators
Educators who want to engage their students and add sizzle to their lessons by using video clips and interview transcripts can turn to "Open Vault," a new web site launched by Boston-based public television station WGBH. The site features video clips and interviews from WGBH programming created between 1968 and 1993, including clips of Muhammad Ali discussing his refusal to fight in Vietnam, African American students arriving at school during Boston's court-ordered desegregation, and Robert McNamara reading from a letter sent by Nikita Khrushchev to President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Open Vault includes more than 500 streaming video clips and more than 1,000 interview transcripts in all. Users can search by keyword or browse by topic (arts, business, education, humanities, Massachusetts, science and technology, and social science) and can view data alphabetically by person and by series. In addition, resource management tools allow educators to annotate and tag records, create topical lists, and send information to students for further study or classroom discussion.
http://openvault.wgbh.org

Thankful for many things

'Tis the season to be thankful. My assistant is flying on his way right now to visit his daughter studying abroad in Israel. While I'm happy for him and his family to spend quality time together, I certainly hope he returns home safely with many happy memories. With that said, hopefully, all of you will have an enjoyable time with loved ones over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Leslie E., being introspective today

More uses for LCD projectors

Added to the uses I have incorporated with the LDC projector, this week brought two more requests from teachers.

1. The special ed. department came in to use the projector to show the class together how to write a response to their reaction to a short story using proper sentence structure. The teacher opened "Appleworks" and began writing their ideas and had the class help her state it with complete sentences, using a topic sentence and proper grammar and punctuation. They could all see it at once with the LCD projector.
2. The Latin teacher also teaches at Hamline University and is privy to a beautiful Latin power point his students could view. Then, they had a follow up to it by use of a clever "Jeopardy" game. The LCD projector was a fabulous way to experience it.

Here is an idea that we can share other interesting ways the LCD projector can be put to good use. My only stipulation is that they must use the LCD projector in the Media Center. We are collaborating ways I can assist the process when the ideas come forth, as well.

Circle of Support group @ Central

While the MILP group was learning about new items at the November meeting, I was @ Central teaching the new teachers Library "stuff" to assist them. Our group is called "Circle of Support." We have experienced teachers and new ones together, working as a team. My lesson utilized the LCD projector and hands-on resources. The teachers were exposed to the following topics.

• The online learning resources subscriptions from spps, elm and Central
• How to do research using keywords, boolean, truncation, wild cards, etc.
• Difference between search engines and databases and even meta search engines like clusty.com
• How to do a "smart google search" (five steps listed previously in another blog)
• Why we need to get on board with Urban Planet websites
• What are directories, invisible web searchable sites and invisible web databases (from robertlackie.com (permission from Rider University)

My next project is to add to the Research process to assist teachers to grasp the twelve steps from the University of MN on how to help students edit their work in a scholarly manner ( ie common mistakes). I will send the link in my next blog.

What a nice concept to collaborate with colleagues! Ah, to have more time....

What a good day!

Some days prove to be fabulous! Today is one of them! Let me count the ways.

• The architects came to discuss the new arrangement in the Media Center to have a real, dedicated computer lab built this summer. Actually, it will be TWO labs of 25 with a moveable wall in between them. The textbooks, library collection, tables, etc. will all need to be moved June 1. This means the library will be closed all summer. It has been a three year process of pushing for a lab and now we'll have two! Just in time for the Science tests to be administered on line. LCD projectors will be installed in the ceilings, as well. Ah, what fun to be included in the twenty-first century!
• Three classes (from the world language department) came in to have a lesson on acquisition of art from Mexico and Spain. They were so excited that I used my LCD projector to show the class paintings from artists and then they could go into the small lab and see the paintings for themselves. It's fun to see pleasure on the faces of students.
• Then, the English teachers came in with students doing Mythology comparison reports. When they saw the tab in ABC-CLIO containing information on Ancient Civilizations, one student said he was glad he didn't have to dig through Google anymore. WE HAVE ARRIVED! He may said it for my benefit, but....oh, well......

Big and blurry library lady

Sometimes at the end of the day I feel as blurry and "in your face" like the Avatar reveals. Sorry if it scared you! Nothing like a Halloween posting......

The 23 Thing thing (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 16)

Due to the fact I have been doing MANY lessons with MANY classes on research techniques (billed as a way to help all of you get an A), I have covered with several Social Studies and some English classes this past week the following items:

• The Research Calculator and how to set it up
• Remind students how to access their spps email accounts
• Plagiarism and how to cite sources properly using the library website
• The various differences between a search engine search and a database search
• How to do a smart Google search and how to access the databases, strengths of each database (passing out bookmarks with passwords when not at a spps site)
• Help students acquire a public library card (explaing the MELSA system of checkouts and how to use mnlink)
• Show students all parts of the Library website (produced with Urban Planet)
• Refresh how to use the Destiny Library system (card catalog) and where items are located
• This encompasses Things 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,10,12,13,16
• At the last staff meeting, all staff were given a red notebook of pages (with permission to copy) of items to help us be on the same page doing research. The positive comments from teachers was overwhelming!
• WHEW! I LOVE MY JOB! The look of happiness when students see what an asset these tools are for them makes my job very rewarding.

Got any handouts in teaching 1,2,3 person writing?

Does anyone have any handouts they use for teaching students (and teachers) what first, second, and person writing is and examples of it? Also, what is passive and active voice? We are trying to put a suggested guide together for all teachers at Central so we have common vocabulary on writing and the research process. The "Research Calculator" is a big hit. Teachers like the organization element of it as well as helping the procrastinator get into the project. Of course, we need to have permission to print the items we use. THANKS!

Since I am getting old, I must do things right when I remember them. Such is the case with regaling how fun it is to teach smart google searching vs. database searching. I take the approach of a football team, one side vs. the other side. Both sides are represented with their strengths and weaknesses. The points to compare are reliability, relevance (how each ranks the responses you receive), how each one really works as it searches for information, etc. When doing a "Smart Google Search," students are taught the five steps. They are:

1. Did you check the URL? Do you know what .com, .edu, .org, .net, etc. mean?
2. Is there a person or group in charge of the site?
3. Are they an expert in their field?
4. When was it last updated? (maybe not so vital for a site on "Mythology")
5. What do you think the purpose is for the site creation? Is it to educate, persuade, sell, etc? How does it compare to other information found?

Other lessons I do with the LCD projector are:

1. "Bogus websites from Joyce Valenza" (steps to ascertain what is real vs. what is bogus)
2. How to use boolean generators

Future lessons include:

1. Incorporation of a "United Streaming" clip or YouTubeSound items since I will be getting "surround sound" in the Media Center next week with eight speakers mounted
2. Sky is the limit here......

The Good, the bad and the ugly

What a treat to be able to collaborate with the one and only teacher that could be in the program from Central! Lindsay is fabulous! We even brainstormed a way to make the laptop work for me, since I have to give back the Dell flat screen I was given last year. The "bad" comes in play when I realize the time it will take to move my entire office into a near-by conference room so I can incorporate a cart that can be transported easily. It will take time to move a desk, shelves, carts, filing cabinets, wall hangings, etc. I will breathe a sigh of relief when it is all functional again. By the way, I will finally get away from the one and only adult bathroom on our floor that is in my office right next to my desk.

Too many hats to wear

The past three weeks have been way too frenzied for my life! Mom had major surgery and daughter (ME) made the trek every night to make dinner for the folks way across town through rush hour traffic. Daily shots, medications, cleaning up people and the house was a labor of love, but left little time for anything extra. My husband has me working with him part-time on week-ends with his company, as well. I also have a problem with certain technology decisions I need to make in my office of the Media Center, but will focus on that one at another time.

Frustration

• After MANY, MANY weeks of frustration with trying to change my "draft" blog into an original, I gave up and deleted the entire mess and began again.
• Now that textbook distribution has gone down to a dull roar, I can maybe think about being a real Media Specialist again. Hot dog! Several classes have come in for lessons on database acquisition from many differing disciplines. Word spread last year about the positive feeling students had locating information by not using a search engine. Looking for information in isolation instead of a specific goal in mind doesn't form a lasting impression on the students. Teachers collaborated with me and we got successful results for the students.