Reflections for IST663: Introductions and Week 1 Discussion

Over the past day or so I've been extremely busy!  My kids are gearing up for their summer vacation, and I'm deep in the mist of studying for my initial teacher certification exams for New York State (Content Specialty Exam and Educating All Students Exam).

Literally surrounded by all the materials I've been studying.

However, I've been thinking about the overall structure of this blog and how I would like information to flow.  I know some love to read long, drawn out, wordy explanations.  Me, I prefer to be more to the point.  So, I've decided to break up the posts by alternating between the two classes according to week.  For example, IST661/week 1, then IST663/week 1.  I feel this will help me, and others who are reading this blog the opportunity to follow either a class of their choosing and/or easily find information.  Plus, I'm just a sucker for organization.  I mean really, what librarian isn't?

Activity For IST663 Introductions

Once again, this week consisted of introductions, but Dr. Stripling also had us jump into our week one discussion.  The method for our introduction was for students to write a brief paragraph introducing ourselves and add a picture.  Yet again, I liked that I could link a name with a face.  I also liked that in this exercise I didn't have to worry about creating a video and there being too much background noise from the hotel.  Dr. Stripling also laid out the structure for the class, weekly modules, and discussions.  She was very thorough and her directions helped to put everything in prospective.  

In our first official discussion we were asked to reflect on inquiry.  Specifically, "What have you learned from previous experiences with inquiry, either your own inquiry or that of students?"

I won't lie..my response was lengthy, but it's only because I was tying in my work at my previous library with what I was currently about to learn.  I have become fascinated by the inquiry process, and while working on my M.S. I vehemently expressed that the success of college students', in regards to research, is directly tied to their experiences and engagements with previous inquiry processes.  In addition, I advocated for introducing and establishing the process of inquiry as early as kindergarten.  It's been 10 years since I graduated with my M.S., and I believe it's especially important that younger students begin to learn the inquiry process, begin formulating questions, know which avenues to find relevant and pertinent information, and decipher authoritative sources from non-authoritative sources.

Here is my response to the above question.

Project Based Learning and Inquiry Based Learning

COLLAPSE

During the course of the last year and a half I had the opportunity to work on a leadership team whose main objective was to switch the school's traditional method of teaching to more inquiry based learning and eventually lead to more of a project based learning environment for students.  In the past the school had experimented with blended learning for students and parents who expressed interest.  Once the courses were completed and the principal was satisfied with the outcome, she decided to explore and research PBL.  She liked what she saw from other schools around the country, so she decided to try it at our school.  

Many of the topics discussed in the lecture and readings directly related to not only the teachers experiences in learning and experiencing more inquiry based learning and PBL, but also the students' reactions and views of these new learning processes.  The first hurtle encountered was making the learning experiences for both the teachers and students relevant.  Some of the teachers pushed back during the professional development because they simply could not see how this type of teaching was relevant to their immediate needs.  For example, Pre-K teachers did not see how PBL could be translated to their classrooms.  I encouraged these teachers to not concentrate so much on a typical PBL project with their students, because the concepts would be over their heads.  Instead, I suggested that the Pre-K teachers concentrate on modeling wonder and simulating curiosity in their students.  I wanted the Pre-K teachers to have students open to the opportunity to explore through their senses.  So, that was one way we connected inquiry and brought it down to the pre-operational phase.

Another obstacle that we encountered was teachers stating that their students didn't know how to ask good quality/intriguing questions.  Professor Stripling touched on this in her lecture and I was happy to hear that other teachers have encountered this.  Our teachers really thought they were alone in this matter.  Once again, the team and I stressed the importance of going back and teaching students what constitutes as an intriguing question.  I really thought this process began in kindergarten and we encouraged the kindergarten teachers to try to foster an atmosphere for questions.  That way students could begin to see that question asking was ok and that some questions that fellow classmates had could help them to refine a question they may have.  Once again, with this grade level we had to help teachers find the right amount of stimulation to keep them focused.  Modeling was very helpful in this grade.  

For our fourth graders the teachers came up with a natural disaster PBL unit to help tie in their science unit on fast and slow processes.  They created a gallery walk where students could ask questions on sticky notes regarding information they read or pictures they saw.  The goal was for students to develop a certain level of empathy so that they could better relate and connect with their eventual authentic audience.  The biggest problem encountered here was time.  We also found that by integrating technology we could keep the students in the right zone of stimulation.  We used many applications to help with capturing and keeping students' attention and further igniting their curiosity.  Seesaw and Popplet were invaluable because the students could connect with peers to bounce around questions and ideas.  Students really felt they were creating meaningful information and experiences; and as a result of this process the natural disasters that they learned about became a part of their world view.  They were really able to understand the projects usefulness and how it related to their present world and the future.  I commend the teachers in this grade level, because they were able to convey to the students why they were doing this research.

There were many more examples I saw over the course of time I worked in the elementary library.  Looking back on it, I'm grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the PBL professional development team.  It was fun, exciting, but sometimes daunting to really explore the concepts of inquiry.  However,  I believe it was well worth it.  Some aspects could have been done differently, but inquiry is a field that is cyclical so teaching it to other teachers felt that way at times.  I'm really looking forward to being able to help refine how I might frame, package, and deliver this line of teaching to other teachers I work with in the future.  

Avenues for Application

Inquiry skills are a vital aspect of student achievement.  Many organizations have pointed out that it is necessary and required for students to learn how to ask quality questions and be able to navigate through the process of inquiry in order to synthesize information and construct or create new knowledge.  The American Association of School Librarians Standards for 21st-Century Learner (AASL, 2007) outlines the criteria or skills a student should be able to demonstrate throughout a given inquiry process.

Although, there has been much debate surrounding The Common Core State Standards Initiative (2010), the literacy standards specifically outline the skills necessary for students to conduct research, read informational texts, and produce informational writing.  These are necessary skills to promote inquiry in an educational environment and directly affect the relationship of the librarian with students and the classroom teacher.  In addition, the skills learned from the CCSS will transfer to students' lives outside of school as well.  When students are encountered with a problem or with information they wish to look for, if CCSS skills are achieved, students will have the skills necessary to ultimately make an informed and independent decision.

Standards from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, 2007) also dictate the need for students to learn the skills necessary to integrate technology into their educational experience.  Creativity, communication, collaboration, research, information fluency, critical thinking, and digital citizenship are also aspects that are covered under the standards and are vital skills that all students, regardless of future educational endeavors, should be provided the opportunity to learn.

It is vital that today's librarians be up-to-date on inquiry models and processes and integrate them into their library lessons or be willing to collaborate with teachers in a inquiry unit.  Because of today's technological climate, the role of the library media specialist is more than just about promoting reading or traditional literacy.  Our role is to provide a framework and environement in which students can inquire about topics they are learning about in class, or are interested in outside of school.  It is about equipping them with the tools, knowledge, skills, and know-how to be able to find quality and reliable information, construct new meaning from it, and if necessary make an informed and conscientious decision on how that information can be applied to their lives.

References

American Association of School Librarians (AASL). 2007. Standards for the 21st-Century Learner.   Chicago: American Library Association. http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf

Common Core State Standards Initiative. 2017.  "The Standards."  National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers.  http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards.

International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE). 2017. "ISTE Standards for Students." https://www.iste.org/standards/standards/for-students.