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Course Outline - LIBR
250
Summer, 2003
David V.
Loertscher
This course will be conducted using a semi-constructivist
model. That is, the professor will serve as a guide on the
side rather than a sage on the stage. Students will
participate at every phase of the course in designing,
creating, modifying, carrying out, and evaluating the
direction of the course. Three engaging problems will be
completed by each students. These modules will build the
student's theory base, compare that theory to practices, and
allow the student to create quality educational
experiences.
Assignments
Due Date for Summer 2003: Aug. 15
 Collaboration
and Information Literacy,
Module 1:
Building a Theory Base
Background and
introduction: In today's world, librarians of all types are
serving as the human interface between information technology and
users. This is quite a different role than in previous generations
since it asks that the librarian step beyond the mere storage and
retrieval functions of the library. In the older model, a teacher or
a professor might come into the library for assistance with a class
and find the librarian willing to help find materials of use to the
teacher and then hand these materials over, thus completing the
entire role responsibility. "I have helped you find materials -
it is now your responsibility to use them."
The assumption of this module is that the responsibility
of the librarian goes far beyond just storage and retrieval. Consider
the following stages of interface with teaching and learning:
Stage One:
• the librarian inquiries what types of
materials/information resources would be helpful to a
teacher/client.
• Help a teacher/client locate materials or for the
learn to use
• Be helpful to teacher/client and learners as they
use the materials.
Stage Two:
• The librarian realizes that much
frustration could be avoided using information technology
if better planning were done with the teacher/client.
• The librarian and teacher/client plan together
before the instructional experience begins.
• Given time, better materials and better activities
for using those materials are designed.
• The teacher/client and the librarian work together
as the materials and information technologies are used by
the learners.
Stage Three:
• The Librarians and the teacher/client
form a partnership - an instructional design team.
• Together, as colleagues, they plan, execute, and
evaluate an instructional sequence (a unit of
instruction, a learning module, an inservice training
program, a training modular, an entire course of
instruction)
• The librarian takes responsibility
along with theteacher/client to help learners master content
(science, social studies, sales training, course content), process
(information literacy; the research process), the wise use of
technology, and encouraging the amount read to
increase.
The basic assumption of this module is that you will
reject stage one services as an outmoded professional task
and seriously explore stage two and three roles as the
central focus of a librarian involved in the educational
process. It assumes and active role rather than a passive
one.
Stop!
Reflection Point
Post to the Blog byJune 16; Post once/read other's
experiences and post at least twice more by June 20
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Do three interviews of practicing librarians in
the type of library in which you expect to work. Ask them about the
three roles described briefly above. Where do they feel they are on
the continuum? At the beginning of this module and without any
further investigation, what is your reaction to the three suggested
stages? Post your findings to your group on the BLOG; read others;
and reflect.
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Quest for this Module:
In this class, you must build your theory base in four topical areas:
Educational theory and practice; Collaboration, and Information
Literacy. Problem: everyone in the class is at a different stage in
their knowledge development of the four topics. The challenge for you
is to make a giant step forward from where you are now toward
expertise. Your quest is to assess your current knowledge in each of
the four areas, draw up a plan for reading, execute your plan, and
reflect upon your progress.
Topic 1. Educational
Theory and Practice, Curriculum and Accountability (academic
institutions and training),
• What's hot
in educational theory
today?
• What does brain research and cognitive theory have
to contribute to teaching and learning?
• What is restructuring in education (K-12
arena)?
• What is standards-based education (K-12 arena)
• What is differentiated instruction? (K-12
arena)
• What is the difference between behaviorist
theories and costructivist theories?
• How can these theories be translated into
practice?
• What is inquiry-based or project-based
learning?
• What are teaching and learning styles?
• What are multiple intelligences?
• What role is government playing in standards and
testing? (K-12 arena)
• What role do national societies play in quality
higher education? (higher education arena)
• Is anyone in the corporate world interested in
quality education and training? (corporate world
arena)
Topic 2. Curriculum and Accountability (academic
institutions and training)
• Who decides who will learn what?
• Who writes curriculum (in academic institutions)
and content to master (training)?
• Who really follows written curriculum, or do
teachers do what they please as soon as the door is
closed?
• Who decides what is the best way to teach math,
social studies, science, etc.? In training institutions,
who prescribes how skills are to be taught?
• What are the best strategies for teaching and
learning what is to be learned?
• How do we know when a student learns what is to be
learned? (testing, assessment)
Topic 3. Collaboration
• Behaviorist Teaching - What is it and
what is the role of the librarian/instructional designer
in course and lesson design?
• Constructivist Teaching (also known as
Resource-based Learning, Project-based Learning) - What
is it and what is the role of the librarian/instructional
designer in helping students construct and solve their
own engaging problems?
• What is collaboration in the educational
setting?
• What roles do librarians (information
specialists/technology specialists) perform as they
collaborate with teachers (K-18 settings) (public
libraries - in home schooling and staff development)
(special libraries/industry - in training)
• What collaborative strategies are likely to
produce excellence in teaching and learning no matter the
teaching style of the teacher?
• What are the signs that collaborative activities
are being successful?
• How must organizations change to facilitate the
role of collaboration?
Topic 4. Information Literacy
• What is Information Literacy?
• What models exist and how do they compare?
• How do models of information literacy compare
across the disciplines?
• How do I build my own mental model of information
literacy?
• Can information literacy be taught? How?
• Is the teaching of information literacy having an
impact on what learners know and do?
• What findings from research illuminate
practice?
Instructions for completing Engaging Problem
#1:
1. Create four concept maps. For each of the four
topics above, create a concept map of what you already know about
each of the four topics(before you do a lot of reading).
2. Rate yourself on the following rubric for each
topic:
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Topics
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Rate yourself on the following
scale:
Low Expertise 1 2 3 4 5 High
Expertise
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Topic 1: Educational Theory and Practice
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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Topic 2. Curriculum
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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Topic 3. Collaboration
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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Topic 4. Information Literacy
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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2a. Decide on your reading plan.Use the four maps
and the rubric to decide which of the four topics you need to do the
most reading to build your own expertise.
3. Read, take brief notes/abstracts. For each of
the four topics above. The instructor suggests that you keep
your notes in a word processor and then you will create an
appendix for your module one project to email directly to
the instructor. Be sure that for everything you read you use
a correct bibliographic citation using any style manual with
which you are comfortable. Hint: You can annotate chapters
from the textbooks, articles from this website, and articles
you find in the professional literature. Hint: Use as a
guide the ratio 50/10 in your reading project - 50 minutes
of reading/thinking about your reading - 10 minutes
recording.
Resources for:
School
library
media specialists
Academic librarians
Special librarians (and training)
Public librarians
4. Create a final concept map and rubric. Do a
final concept map for each of the four topical area and complete a
final rubric:
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Topics
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Rate yourself on the following
scale:
Low Expertise 1 2 3 4 5 High
Expertise
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Topic 1: Educational Theory and Practice
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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Topic 2. Curriculum
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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Topic 3. Collaboration
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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Topic 4. Information Literacy
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1 - F
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2 - D
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3 - C
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4 - B
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5 - A
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5. Reflect. Write a one page essay/chart/graphic
showing what you know now about your topical area. Rate your
own theoretical knowledge on the following rubric
6. Submit your
quest to the instructor via attachment as a part of the final log,
Aug. 15.
Title page
• Project log (a one-page diagram/summary of how you
worked through this project as a whole)
• Topic One section: Educational Theory and Practice
- Topic 1 first concept map with rubric rating at the
bottom of the page for Topic 1
- Topic 1 final concept map with rubric rating your final
expertise for Topic 1
- Topic 1 one-page comparative essay/chart/graphic showing
what you now know
• Topic Two
section: Curriculum and
Accountability (academic institutions and training)
- Topic 1 first concept map with rubric rating at the
bottom of the page for Topic 1
- Topic 1 final concept map with rubric rating your final
expertise for Topic 1
- Topic 1 one-page comparative essay/chart/graphic showing
what you now know
• Topic Three
section: Collaboration
- Topic 1 first concept map with rubric rating at the
bottom of the page for Topic 1
- Topic 1 final concept map with rubric rating your final
expertise for Topic 1
- Topic 1 one-page comparative essay/chart/graphic showing
what you now know
• Topic Four
section: Information Literacy
- Topic 1 first concept map with rubric rating at the
bottom of the page for Topic 1
- Topic 1 final concept map with rubric rating your final
expertise for Topic 1
- Topic 1 one-page comparative essay/chart/graphic showing
what you now know
- A copy of your group's information literacy model (done
in class #1)
- A copy of your own information literacy model (drawn
after class #3)
- A copy of a collaboration form that you would use with a
client (either behaviorist or constructivist) (we will do this class
#3)
- A one-page diagnostician strategy map (done in class #3)
- Appendicies or your reading notes (do include full
citations.but the notes need not be extensive (these are for you, not
for the instructor so you are not evaluated on your notes. The
instruictor looks for what you have read and how much you have read
and whether the amount you read justifies your own rating on the
various rubrics)
If this project
is way off the mark of what you need to increase your knowledge of
the four topical areas, email the instructor with an alternative
plan.
The
Second Engaging Problem:
Theory vs. Practice:
The Problem:
To examine, design, and
tinker with existing learning experiences to build atheoretical
repertoire of how you as a librarian might add value to already
existing learning experiences.
Tools to use:
Choose or make up
an evaluation form you like to evaluate educational
activities/units/professional development modules/etc.
Here are two examples:
Map of an Instructional Unit/Project/Experience
(evaluation
form.htm) - Created by
David Loertscher.
Rubric
(b62.pdf) for evaluating Web
Quests by Bernie Dodge, revised for the San Diego
Schools
If you want a further introduction to web quests,
Bernie Dodge has a good introduction with examples of
various types at: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/taskonomy.html
He also has created a WebQuest about WebQuests for
elementary and middle school teachers at: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquestwebquest.html
Before 2nd class period Map and evaluate the
following webquest and inquiry:
Prison:
Punishment or Party? A Webquest
JourneyNorth
More Homework before class #2
• Spend two hours looking at information
literacy sites for contrasting approaches to information
literacy:
Library
Research at Cornell: A Hypertext guide
TILT:
Texas Information Literacy Tutorial
Noodle Tools - a
must info lit site (K-12)
Other sites listed in Information Literacy
(Loertscher/Woolls)
• Spend one hour mapping the following units of
instruction using the evaluation form listed above:
Hello
Dolly: A WebQuest
Any two other WebQuests from Bernie Dodge's Page
(click under examples for Quests from K- Adult at:
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/webquest.html
Balance of Engaging Problem - Discover good sources
for sample units of instruction, short courses, employee
training, professional development modules, etc.
Sources for School Librarians:
• web site: The Gateway to Educational Mateials
(GEM) at http://www.thegateway.org
is a portal created by the National Library of Education
in Washington D.C. and it links to educational resources
Kindergarted through higher education.
• Web site: Discovery School at http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/
boast hundreds of lesson plans for K-12. This site is
sponsored by the Discovery Channel. Check out the puzzle
maker. Cool.
• Web
site
(b31.html) Federal curriculum resources gathered by the
U.S. Dept. of Education for the K-12 schools of the
country. Check under "FREE(Federal Resources for
Educational Excellence)"
• Web
site (b32.html) Blue Web'n from PacBell offers K-12
educators scads of units of instruction
• Web
site: Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators - zillions
of lesson plans and helps.
• Do a search on "big six" information
literacy in Yahoo and marvel.
• Web
site: The Educator's Guide to Internet Resources.
Created by Intel with scads of lesson plans, tutorials,
web design stuff, etc.
• Web
site: Module Maker by Jamie McKenzie teaches teachers
and library media specialists how to plan together. Can
you use this Module for both behaviorist and
constructivist units?
• Web
site: The Resource Station - Internet Lesson Plans
from Classroom Connect
• Web
site: Lesson Plans from Classroom Connect.
• Web
site: Math TracStar
• Web
site: Math Forum: Arithmetic Lesson Plan Sites
• Web
site: Good News Bears (A Web-based Interactive Stock
Market)
• Web
site: Teachers.Net Lesson Exchange - LESSON PLANS
-...
Sources for
Academic Librarians:
•
Gradowski, Gail, Sloranne Snavely, and
Paula Dempsey. Designs for Active Learning: A
Sourcebook for Information Eduction. Chicago:
Association of College and Research Libraries, 1998.
(available from ALA). A recent collection of sample units
and ideas for teaching information literacy.
• Library
Research at Cornell: A Hypertext guide and TILT:
Texas Information Literacy Tutorial - already
explored examples of information literacy courses/modules
mounted on the web for students. Please find others.
• web site: The Gateway to Educational Mateials
(GEM) at http://www.thegateway.org
is a portal created by the National Library of Education
in Washington D.C. and it links to educational resources
Kindergarted through higher education.
Special Librarians/ Entreprenurial
Enterprizes:
• Check out expositions held all over the
country such as Siebold Conferences where insturction in
new technologies combined with fairs/demos exist. One
such event in San Francisco costs $2,000 to have a pass
to attend everything or you can buy a half-day training
for a measly $450.
• Ask employees and officers of various large
corporations and professions about their inservice
training, short courses, orientations. There is much now
going on the web, but these are often internal classes
requiring password access.
• There are corporations who consult with large
corporations to create and provide continuing education
courses (Arthur Anderson, Inc.?).
Public Librarians
• Look for examples of staff training for
paraprofessionals
• What about examples of seminars or sessions
conducted for home schoolers?
• Orientation classes for adults on such topics
as use of the Internet or perhaps a tax or investment
seminar. You might stray into programming if any age - if
that programming's objective is educational rather than
pur entertainment.
Looking for Patterns
No matter what you have decided to present to
the class, that presentation should look across examples
you have found in the real world for such things as:
• Style of teaching being done (behaviorist,
constructivist)
• Use of information resources and technology on
beyond texts or manuals (i.e., potential for the library
to contribute those things)
• Likelyhood that a librarian might make some
kind of intervention to increase the likelyhood that the
instructional activity would be more effective.
• Is there any information literacy designed as a
part of the units/couses,? If so, what elements of
information literacy models are covered in the suggested
activities, or is every recommended library activity
involved only in the location of information?
• Considering what the literature you have been
reading describes as "quality" education, do you see this
reflected in published lesson plans, course ourtlines,
student projects, etc.?
• Have you discovered any absolutely outstanding
examples of pedagogy and/or information literacy
examples, that we should know as a class?
Keep a log of your work
for module two since you will have to report it to the instructor
after class three.
After class two, there
will be other smaller assignments connected to this module. These
will be announced.
The
Third Engaging Problem:
Do It
(Due Aug. 15.)
Be sure you have your project approved via email to
the instructor
before you spend a lot of time on it.
Approval should be received before class #2.
Option One: Work with an actual
teacher (client)
You have just been given an opportunity to partner with a
teacher/professor/business partner in creating, executing, and
evaluating an educational unit/ learning experience. This opportunity
will allow you to use the world of information and technology to
enhance the learning experience. You will also have the opportunity
to incorporate the strategies of information literacy into the
experience. You have promised your partner that the experience
together will be so remarkably superior to what that person could
have done alone, that this experience will be a trend setter - a
model of what a creative partnership can accomplish in terms of
student learning.
Instructions:
• Bribe one or several partners into
working with you on this project.
• Create with your partner(s) your own engaging
problem for a quality educational experience. You should
design and carry out (if possible) your project. The
project plan must be complete including objectives,
activities, materials, information literacy module,
technologies to be used, and evaluative strategies.
• Design an assessment for the learning
experience that measures four things: content learning, information
literacy skill, rewards the wise use of technology, and rewards lots
of reading. A rubric is recommended although there are a number of
other assessments that could be constructed.
• Do your work and keep a log of the process.
• As a report of the work, create a
project/portfolio of the experience that does two
things:
a. shows the project
b. contains a log of the process
c. reflects upon the project and the process
• Be sure
that your project could be shown to a
prospective employer as an example of what you know and
are able to do.
Option Two: Work with a partner
in the class
• Create a
collaborative team of not more
than three collaborative partners.
• Create together an educational experience for a
target audience such as a LibraryQuest (webquest using
all types of resources), a staff training workshop, a
termpaper workshop, a professional inservice workshop, a
unit of instruction, a home school independent learning
quest, etc. The project plan must be complete including
objectives, activities, materials, information literacy
module, technologies to be used, and evaluative
strategies.
• Design an information literacy component of
each unit. This can be done in two ways - either as one
component of the experience, or using the information
literacy model as the total process model for the
learning experience.
• Do your work and keep a log of the process.
• As a report of the work, create a
project/portfolio of the experience that does two
things:
a. shows the project
b. contains a log of the process
c. reflects upon the project and the process
• Be sure
that your project could be shown to a
prospective employer as an example of what you know and
are able to do.
Helpful Timeline
for All the Modules
| Timeline |
Module One
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Module Two
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Module Three
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Between class 1-2
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- Reflection point due
June 20;
- Draw your concept maps
for each of the four topics and rate your expertise;
- Get a copy of your group���s info
lit. model into your files;
- Start reading
immediately and taking notes.
- Do much of your
reading between class one and two.
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- Map and evaluate the
two web quests ��� Prison and JourneyNorth.
- Spend two hours
looking at info lit. sites
- Map Hello Dolly web
quest and two others.
- Discover good sources
for sample units, short courses, prof. dev. etc.
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- Find a partner who is
willing to work with you on a learning experience.
- Bring to 2nd class
the partner's content knowledge goals.
- Do not get very far
down the planning road with your partner before the 2nd class.
- Schedule a planning
period with your partner soon after the second class.
- Email your instructor
before the 2nd class about your partner and what you intend to do.
You should have approval of this teaching topic before the 2nd
class.
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| Between class 2-3 |
- Read and take
notes;
- Complete other pieces
of module one..
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- Complete small
assignments as directed by your instructor.
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- Do the bulk of the
planning with your partner.
- Keep a log.
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After class 3
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- Assemble your module
one for your final log.
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- Prepare BRIEF
description of this module for your log.
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- Write up a
description of this module for your final log.
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