What’s “Print?”

@WillyB http://tinyurl.com/ykevyru

3 months, 2 weeks ago by dmcordell on Twitter

I like what the innovativeeducator says: 21st Century Educators Don’t Say, “Hand It In.” They say, “Publish It!

Terry C Elliott´s last blog ..Obeisance to Food

3 months, 3 weeks ago by Terry C Elliott on Wordpress

Bud,

You’ve summarized this dilemma eloquently.

As a librarian, I struggle with it and see our teachers and students struggling with this crossroads as well.

Just last week, I ended up using Google Books to find a book for a student who was researching an obscure person but was required to have a book source. I had already searched two local public libraries and our library, as well as our university library, to no avail but found a book on Google Books. I feel somewhat “crafty” when I tell students that even though it’s online, they can count it as a book. But it’s true, of course.

So first off, I agree, that using the “best’ sources possible is the goal for our students, and helping them evaluate what those are. There are many things we can do to steer them to a better understanding of what the best sources are.

Formal teacher/librarian/student onferencing during the research process is one that comes to mind.

Another exercise I sometimes suggest is that a teacher can have a student spend the day searching for sources, and then have them rank their results, with an annotated explanation of why they ranked them the way they did. This helps students distinguish quality and really think about what they’ve found in databases or via Google.

As to your suggestion about primary sources, I often think this is the ‘missing piece’ when we teach research in schools. Professional researchers, authors, historians, scientists, often use primary research in their real world work.

Are they appropriate for every assignment? While I’m not so sure I like requirements that ‘limit’ students rather than organic ones that grow out of their research experience, I think those requirements do help expose students to possibilities they might not have considered before, which is a growing experience, just like requiring them to journal about their research or blog about it, or whatever.

Primary sources are easy to come by, because interviews are a primary source. And for every subject they might research, there is someone to interview–a teacher, a parent, someone who works at a nonprofit in town, a scientist at the university level….and I do think that is a particular primary source that can add a great deal of value.

Of course, there are many other primary sources, but I wanted to point out that option because it is the easiest to teach and to incorporate into a lesson and also has great real world value for our students.

Lastly, I would like to encourage teachers to enlist the help of the librarian. When we’re teaching students about sources, and options, who could be a better guide than the person who works with sources all day every day?

Most librarians have an excellent understanding of this dilemma as we often help students through it.

Thanks for outlining this dilemma so well. I may even jump this conversation to my own blog since I think you explore some excellent points! ... See all content Hide content

3 months, 3 weeks ago by Carolyn Foote on Wordpress

I couldn’t agree more on the “death” of print sources. I realized a couple of years back that this was becoming more of a reality, and I think the demise of the Seattle P-I was what sold me on that reality.

In my 8th and 9th grade classes, I no longer require print sources (haven’t for a couple of years now). As a result, I’ve seen a clear need for teaching students about information literacy – how to evaluate sources, what makes a good source (primary vs. secondary is part of this), and how to cite those sources. We talk about the value of Wikipedia as a starting point, but also that it isn’t a primary source and shouldn’t be cited.

At my level, I think it’s critical that students start to learn about these concepts. When I watch them search at the beginning of the year, they just assume that the first Google result has the answers they need. Even if they’re lucky enough to find relevant information, they simply assume that it is good information and cite it. Without the discussion of source quality or primary/secondary sources, this is what they do. By the end of the year (hopefully), my students at least understand that they can’t always trust that first result.

Good stuff, as always. Thanks.

thehurt´s last blog ..Working Towards Sustainable Schools ... See all content Hide content

3 months, 3 weeks ago by thehurt on Wordpress

Kia ora e Bud!

I agree. But I also wonder at the proposed replacement(s). I see a rift in the level of understanding needed.

What’s suggested here is to replace what used to be a fairly easy idea, that of ‘printed source’, with what are cognitively far more difficult ideas to digest and disseminate: primary/secondary source, citationality and attribution.

From an objective point of view, is it more important that a learner recognise the appropriateness of content of a source (whether primary or secondary) or that they recognise the academic nature of information/knowledge per se?

Catchya later

Ken Allan´s last blog ..Denial – Tumbling Walls ... See all content Hide content

3 months, 3 weeks ago by Ken Allan on Wordpress

Exactly.

3 months, 3 weeks ago by Bud Hunt on Wordpress

New blog post: What's "Print?" http://bit.ly/8l9jea

3 months, 3 weeks ago by budtheteacher on Twitter