THE SCHOOL LIBRARY: A source of information for teachers and their students

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THE SCHOOL LIBRARYA source of information for
teachers and their students

• By Johanna F. Jimenez
• Librarian Deborah Cohen

Interview at Arts High School, Newark, NJ June
14, 2006 940 a.m.
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• The school library contains a collection
  reflecting the needs and wants of students and
  teachers.

Suggestions/requests for materials is welcomed.
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Surprisingly, not many teachers have their
classes visit the school library!
So, the first step is to come and see whats
available to your students!!

• The librarian can give a lesson on
• Electronic Catalog
• Databases vs. Internet
• Sourcing

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Electronic Catalog

• The librarian can create a cart of books students
  will definitely use based on the subject or
  teachers assignment.
• Students can also create their own cart of books.

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Databases vs. Internet

• accurate and verifiable
• Commercial products, but educational in nature
• Scholarly source
• Ex EBSCO

• K-12 school internet needs a filter, which
  prevents hits on controversial topics
• Google does not filter and students usually look
  at the first 2 hits, which are usually big
  companies who pay to be on top of the list

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Databases vs. Internet

• frame search question
• frame search to just articles, just journals,
  just magazines, or all three, by titles
• Use the descriptors in the databases as part of
  your search topic, Ex automobiles under cars
• Already in citation format!

• frame search question, Ex -.com

Therefore, databases are more beneficial to
students!
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Sourcing

• Students should be taught how to source in Middle
  School by teachers, especially those requesting
  the assignment
• Librarian can collaboratively instruct also
• Ex At Arts HS, bib cards are made
  (bibliography cards)

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Sourcing

• Be upfront about plagiarism from the start! It
  should resonate!
• Ask students to show sources used
• Tell students youll be checking their
  references!
• Encourage credit to sources by using real life
  examples so that they can relate. Ex da Vinci
  Code, music
• Encourage primary or original sources
• Students should use the MLA - Modern Language
  Association citation format
• Keep students aware of validity of sources, Ex
  Wikipedia - anyone can contribute to this site,
  so its not the best source someone was recently
  sued for posting incorrect information
• Inform students that the more sources the better!
  Can not rely on just one source, regardless of
  source.

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Sourcing
Ideas on sourcing and evaluating sources

• Do an I-SEARCH paper, a self-assessment report
• Include another assessment sheet towards their
  own skills
• Find different routes to the same answer

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Sourcing
If student can not find enough information on
his/her topic at the school library

• Keep in mind databases and the internet
• Search the public library
• Search a book store
• Rethink the topic, librarian can suggest
  similar/related ones

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Teacher and Librarian/Media Instructor
Relationship

• Vital!
• Collaborative effort
• More ideas on lessons created through
  brainstorming
• Teachers should inform the librarian a week (at
  least a day) in advance about assignments
  utilizing the library
• Enhanced use of sources, catered to best fit
  assignment
• Librarian available to students for one-on-one
  help
• Disservice to students if no media instructor
  around to teach about sophisticated techniques on
  searching