Please see the file above for proper formatting for this assignment. Evaluation Plan for Reference Services By Krista Belanger Analysis of Current Collection SML Christian Academy houses a number of different reference collections, housed in a variety of classrooms as the school does not have a formal school library at this time. Due to these circumstances, the focus of this analysis and plan will be for the topic of Weather, which is part of the grade five Science curriculum. This collection is currently found in the grade five classroom, which in addition to the various grade five science topics, contains social studies resources, but the vast majority of the library is composed of fiction titles. The weather reference collection contains ten physical titles, but many of these titles have poor currency with the oldest title being published in 1982 and the most current published in 2016. The accuracy of these resources is quite reliable, which is why they have not been discarded, however, the currency is certainly in question. Riedling indicates in Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist that “printed resources are often considered to be out of date before they reach the student” (pg. 22), however, in a context in which technology is not always readily available or reliable, print resources may be the only option. The collection is well-utilized by students and the teacher, however there are simply not enough resources for one for each student in the class, which means that during research tasks without technology, students are limited. The reference collection does not provide opportunities for student learning unless the student is at or above reading level, which is unrealistic given the student population of SML Christian Academy. Currently, the average grade five student reads at a 4.1 reading level, which translates to a beginning grade four reading level. The school, while trying to strengthen their students’ reading skills and ability to decode text, make inferences, and connections, is simply unsuccessful with helping every single student grow in every single one of these ways, as there may be a lack of support at home, a lack of scaffolding, or a multitude of other factors. Rationale for ChangeAs there are not enough physical resources for all students, a change must be made to provide access to every student in the class in any given year. Since SML caps its classes at 24, there must be 24 resources made available. Access needs to be improved, which includes access to learning materials at a variety of reading levels, access to technology, and access to technology extensions to increase reading comprehension, vocabulary, and general understanding. Currently, students at SML have limited access to technology simply due to the lack of technology within the school. At the moment, there are two Chromebook carts, each consisting of a class set being used by grades three through nine, and two class sets of iPads being used in the kindergarten through grade two classes. At times throughout the year, older grades typically use the iPads for research and learning through apps, but do not use the iPads nearly as much as the younger grades do. In the next school year, SML will be a one-to-one technology environment in grades four through nine, which will increase student access to online reference materials. In addition, a new change has occurred with the availability of online reference materials. The Alberta Education representative for the school has provided the school with its jurisdiction username and password, allowing staff full access to Alberta Education’s Online Reference Centre (2019) which includes reference materials from Scholastic’s ScienceFLIX, the World Book series, and National Geographic’s Kids Virtual Library. Each of these online reference sources would otherwise be paid for, which would result in a yearly subscription of over $1 000 – a sum the school simply cannot afford at this time. Students will need to be taught how to utilize these resources, which is another reason why change must be made within the school. Riedling indicates that teacher-librarians need to be well-versed in using the reference process (pg. 6), which utilizes information, student knowledge, and coming toward an answer. This process can be transferred to students by allowing students to work toward inquiry projects, which is outlined by the BCTLA document Points of Inquiry. In the document, the need is mentioned for students to understand the questioning process, to learn how to be actively involved in research, as well as come up with their own thoughts and ideas about the information presented to them in reference materials (2011, pg. 4-6). Plan for Change First of all, the resources used and accumulated may be updated by purchasing newer, more current copies, as well as multiples of each text. This will require funds from the school budget outside of the classroom budget to replace each text. The average cost of each non-fiction text resource averages $15, so replacing and purchasing 24 total copies (one for each student) would require funds in the area of $360. This change can take place with support from the principal, business administrator, and the school board, who are all involved in making financial decisions. This change may take place at any point in the school year, however, many of the titles are available for purchase throughout the year at Chapters, so an appropriate replacement time may be during one of Chapters’ Teachers Appreciation events where teachers can receive up to 30% off of purchases. Staff and students will be made aware of this change and these purchases shortly after they have been made, at the following staff meeting. The classroom teacher purchasing these materials will explain that currency and accuracy are the most important reasons for replacing the reference materials. In addition, by implementing a one-to-one policy, students will be able to access Alberta’s Online Reference Centre consistently which includes a variety of reference materials for no cost. The classroom teacher will be required to teach students how to use the databases effectively (there is and will be no opportunities for a Teacher-Librarian to gain employment in a teacher-librarianship role within the school). The school board, staff, and administration have all committed to providing access to students at a variety of reading levels, which indicates their support for the one-to-one policy for the 2019-2020 school year. Staff have received the information to access the material from the Online Reference Centre and have been working independently to learn how best to utilize the reference materials for their purposes. Staff have been made aware of this change and availability, but will be reminded of the necessary information and access at the staff meeting in August. Finally, the change will take place by providing technology extensions to allow students to utilize the databases and online features of the Online Reference Centre. The extensions which will be provided to students will be Read&Write (texthelp), Wiki-Wand, and Color Overlay (Rawstream). Each of these extensions are available to be provided to students at very little cost or are free of charge for the school. These three extensions provide assistance to students who require help with processing material. The Read&Write extension provides overlays, text-to-speech functionality, picture dictionaries, and the ability to highlight text for summarizing material. The Wikiwand extension allows students to access more student-friendly text and formatting of Wikipedia articles, which increases access and comprehension. The Color Overlay extension provides Irlen Syndrome students with the ability to use colour-coded overlays with the click of a few buttons. Our staff have noticed a significant increase over the last few years with students testing positive for Irlen Syndrome who may have been or previously were diagnosed with dyslexia. These students simply need an overlay (change to the screen’s colour) to access material. SML currently has three teachers on staff who are Irlen screeners, and have determined at least ten students in the school between the grades of four to seven who have Irlen Syndrome. The school board, administration, and staff are all committed to ensuring access for students at SML, and see the need for Irlen screening and extensions to support students with a variety of needs. Luckily, the biases some teachers may have about the use of technology for research is not present at SML. The purpose and widespread understanding among staff is that the purpose of utilizing technology is to “work [together] to design challenges to empower student-led collaborative learning. Students learn how to build personal learning networks” (Leading Learning, 2014, pg. 11). These three extensions are available immediately and have recently been force-installed on each of the students’ school G-Suite accounts. Staff will be made aware of the change when it is presented to them in a staff meeting, and the students will be made aware of the change as classroom teachers utilize the technology and teach students how to use it effectively for their own use. Potential challenges with carrying out this plan for change include: parent buy-in, reliability of Wi-Fi, and student understanding of the purpose of integrating technology. Parents can be brought on board to this plan by seeing the use of databases and newer books being used in the classroom. They can help their students work on assignments from home as the technology is portable, versus the books not leaving school property. The reliability of Wi-Fi is significant, but additional signal boosters may be purchased, or the Wi-Fi may require a service by the provider. Finally, students will need time to buy into the idea that traditional textbooks may be replaced with databases and online sources. Students may appreciate the ease of use, and when shown the Chrome extensions, may find them appealing to increase their own comprehension. Determining the Success of the Plan The success of the plan will be determined by three items: the use of the newly purchased classroom reference materials, the use of the Online Reference Centre, and the use of the Chrome extensions. Data may be collected from the classroom teacher by recording what the classroom teacher thinks about the new reference materials in comparison to the previous materials used in previous years. Data regarding the use of the Online Reference Centre could be conducted through surveying students and staff about how they feel regarding the effectiveness of using the online reference materials and databases. This survey could also be done in correlation with surveying students regarding their use of the Chrome extensions. Suggested questions to gather data may be to have students compare their use of physical books versus online reference materials, as well as their own ease or difficulty in reading text online versus hard copy print. Other ways the success of the plan may be determined may be in observing student morale, as confidence will likely increase, as well as increasing staff confidence in utilizing online materials. Finally, the success of the plan will be dependent upon the support and efforts put forth by the school board, administration, staff, and students. References Canadian Library Association (CLA). 2014. Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for
School Library Learning Commons in Canada. Available: http://llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/llsop.pdf Government of Alberta. (n.d.). Online Reference Centre. Retrieved March 30, 2019, from http://www.learnalberta.ca/OnlineReferenceCentre.aspx?lang=en Rawstream. (2018). Color Overlay (2.0.0) [Chrome extension software]. Retrieved from https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/color-overlay/glejbiebgbadpnhcjmidgclkjeelddgk?hl=en Riedling, A. M. (2005). Reference skills for the school library media specialist: Tools and tips. Worthington, OH: Linworth Books. Texthelp.com. (2019). Read&Write for Google Chrome (1.8.0.255) [Chrome extension software]. Retrieved from https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/readwrite-for-google-chro/inoeonmfapjbbkmdafoankkfajkcphgd Wikiwand. (2018). Wikiwand (8.2.5) [Chrome extension software]. Retrieved from https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/wikiwand-wikipedia-modern/emffkefkbkpkgpdeeooapgaicgmcbolj
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Theme three, in my opinion, is the nitty gritty of the course. Theme one was about establishing a foundation, theme two was about management and evaluating, but theme three is about the materials themselves. In lesson 8, we discussed the deep web and learned about grey literature. In my opinion, the grey literature aspect was the part that most resonated with me as I had never encountered the term before. There was some discussion going on in the forum about the existence of the dark web, which I also found interesting. I watched a Buzzfeed video a few months ago about the dark web (How Scary is the Dark Web?, 2018) which I didn't find particularly appropriate or adding to the discussion on the forum, but was nevertheless reminded of it based on the discussions which were going on. My main takeaway from lesson 8 is the importance of the teacher-librarian in any school to be mindful and practice appropriate search terms. So often we forget that our students have not yet been taught how to search for information, and the responsibility falls on the teacher-librarian for guidance. Lesson 9 focused mainly on databases for the purpose of understanding how important their role is in our schools. I have never worked in a school which has provided students access to electronic databases, mostly because in the schools I have worked in there has been very little support of teacher-librarians, and very little emphasis on the teaching and learning which takes places in the school library learning commons. In all honesty, by not providing our students with access to databases, we are setting them up for failure - and this mostly applies to students in the upper grades (9-12), as a significant number of them are headed toward post-secondary institutions which do not consider Wikipedia or a google search to be an adequate source for research. I found the cost associated with a number of quotes for databases to be extreme. I requested a quote and a trial from EBSCO, who recently got back to me, which quoted the school at $1000 for the use of four databases. When I approached my principal about it, he said there was no way we could afford a yearly subscription. Image source: http://www.onlinereferencecentre.ca/ What I did appreciate is that many of the databases available to schools are available free of charge by the Alberta government, as they have an Online Reference Centre where a teacher can log in with their information and obtain resources from a variety of sources. After a number of different questions, and a few different reminders, our Alberta Education representative gave us the information we need to be able to access the resources, and my whole school is thrilled! Lesson 10 was an excellent reminder about using bibliographies, biographies, and directories as reference materials. In the discussion forum, we discussed how at times we as students may go to the bibliography of a text and search out materials to keep reading. I often find myself looking toward the authority of sources before considering a source reliable or unreliable. We were also reminded Riedling's mention of evaluating the cost, accuracy, comprehensiveness, currency, and ease of use of reference materials. The activity we completed in lesson 10 was exploring the different formats of databases. I generally find using databases easy and well-refined, however, I do get frustrated when the results page takes me to a whole host of other sites with different layouts. I did comment in the forum that I prefer PDF results, which is even better if it is searchable. I was frustrated (and remember my frustration vividly) with how one e-book was available to download only by separate chapters. Again, I understand why (because one file could be too large), but am frustrated with the choice that was made. Lesson 11 brought us to generalized and specialized encyclopedias, where we discussed in the forum at length established vs. citizen-built encyclopedias. I appreciated the back-and-forth in the forum, as I also felt at a loss for which is truly "better". The conclusion I came to (among others) is that if the purpose of the encyclopedia is for academic research, the established encyclopedia would be the appropriate research material. However, if using the citizen-built encyclopedia is used as a springboard to access other materials for research, it may be put to good use. Lesson 12 was a wonderful learning opportunity for me as we examined physical copies vs electronic copies of dictionaries and thesauri in the discussion forum. From my opinion, there was very little reason to say one was "better" than the other, but that it is important to provide access to students to ensure they are able to participate with others. I appreciated the note that was made about alphabetization, especially since we often put items in alphabetical order as adults without realizing that is what we are doing. I also appreciate how other teachers see the value in having both kinds of resources available to students to compare and contrast. My favourite part of our discussion was the adopted game that one of my colleagues mentioned: to have a word of the week and students can look up the definition in the dictionary, write it down, and enter to win a prize.
References [BuzzFeedVideo.] (2018, November 10). How Scary Is The Dark Web? [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGAV7MPw0_U
Bookselfpublishing. (2016, January 17). Ebook vs print book [Digital image]. Retrieved March 30, 2019, from https://visual.ly/community/infographic/business/ebook-vs-print-book Government of Alberta. (n.d.). Online Reference Centre. Retrieved March 30, 2019, from http://www.onlinereferencecentre.ca/ Government of Alberta. (n.d.). Online Reference Centre. Retrieved March 30, 2019, from http://www.learnalberta.ca/OnlineReferenceCentre.aspx?lang=en National Geographic. (n.d.). Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada [Digital image]. Retrieved March 30, 2019, from https://www.amazon.ca/Indigenous-Peoples-Canadian-Geographical-Geographic/dp/0986751626/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1531148078&sr=8-1&keywords=indigenous peoples atlas of canada JustScience. (2018, February 12). How is google search changing us? [Digital image]. Retrieved March 30, 2019, from http://www.justscience.in/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/how-is-google-search-changing-us.jpg Riedling, A. M. (2005). Reference skills for the school library media specialist: Tools and tips. Worthington, OH: Linworth Books. The main take-aways I had in Theme 2 is that the role of the Teacher Librarian is vast, complicated, and varies between individuals, schools, and districts. Fulfilling the role is a large order and does not necessarily mean that can be completely fulfilled. In lesson 5, we discussed the role of the Teacher Librarian through the lens of providing opportunities for collaboration, relief time, and interviews. Largely, what was discussed in the forum was that "modern day Teacher Librarians" are unable to sacrifice the amount of time Riedling recommends to conduct interviews with students to provide them the best service possible while using the School Library Learning Commons. Other perspectives in the forum indicated that Teacher Librarians work with a lot of classroom teachers to pull and collect reference materials to have ready for when the class uses the School Library Learning Commons. However, I noticed that this method was largely successful if there is contact, communication, and collaboration between the classroom teacher and the Teacher Librarian. In my own school, we submit year-long plans to our administration, so if we were to have a Teacher Librarian, it would be easy enough for them to ask for a copy from administration. In having access to year-long plans, the Teacher Librarian is best able to have an idea about what to discuss with a particular classroom teacher. Personally, the contrast between the documents we read was most explicit when considering the lack of teacher involvement in the reference interview with students, as well as the lack of independence in the Riedling text. To me, it seemed as if the Teacher Librarian was doing all of the work, which does not help foster a sense of independence for the student, and does not necessarily allow the student to meet the requirements of the assignment as set out by the teacher. For me, lesson 6, about the role description of the Teacher Librarian was frustrating because the description, in most schools or districts is vague, and across districts the duties differ. I also found it strange that the job description was hard to find, as well as lists of responsibilities. Often, in job postings there are duties and responsibilities, however, most times I found a list of qualifications when searching for those postings across Canada. One norm I did find in reading the posts by others was that overall, there was a general section which could basically be summed up as "duties as assigned" which to me indicated covering for a classroom teacher so they receive their prep, substituting in a class where a substitute cannot be found, as well as coaching and leadership opportunities. My opinion about "duties as assigned" is overwhelmingly positive: in that I largely find the role of the Teacher Librarian to be one of service to others - serving students in the school, serving teachers in their classroom and in the School Library Learning Commons, as well as serving administration and the school district in fulfilling the vision of the school or district wherever the School Library Learning Commons fits. Being in a service role, to me, is where I ultimately want to be. As a classroom teacher, service is not quite a term used in the job description, often because instruction, planning, and curriculum is more about delivering, not assisting or helping (like the role of the Teacher Librarian). The Teacher Librarian, therefore, must be humble - something I am still working on. I find myself able to distance myself from my classroom self, something that took years and a lot of self-care to achieve. I find that EAs in our schools are most skilled with distancing themselves from their work where they see fit, and I have taken a lot of their advice to achieve what I see as being a positive and workable balance. Image Source: https://fundamentalacademy.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/wearing-lots-of-hats-300x265.jpg?w=300 We also discussed in lesson 6 how some of the description of the Teacher Librarian is constrained by time and budget. I found my own thoughts to be validated in that collaboration requires time, but not all administration is able to offer that time for the Teacher Librarian to meet with others within the school. If I were in a Teacher Librarian role, I would certainly advocate for a floating substitute teacher to be brought in to relieve classroom teachers for a few blocks to meet with me. In that relief time, we could sit down and talk in the School Library Learning Commons and discuss what they are doing in their classroom, how I can help, and what I can do to take something off of their plate. It might mean receiving a lot of work all at once for myself, however, the potential for working ahead together is far greater than a few extra hours of work to help someone on my team. From my perspective, lesson 7, being about reference resource goals is incredibly timely. I am currently working toward transitioning my school for my departure, as well as readying the staff as they transition to one-to-one classes in grades 4-9. I personally have made inquires and suggestions to and about various programs, services, and databases for the school to use as they work on integrating technology into their classrooms. With a big curriculum change in Alberta, the school and administration is not looking toward replacing textbooks or "trying something new", and understandably so. I discovered in my Assignment 1 that we currently should have access to a variety of databases for our school and for reference resources online, provided that we know our jurisdiction username and password. I have asked many times, and my principal is not sure if we have received it this year or not, so I have been encouraging him to obtain it so I can help get the staff acquainted with the materials available to them to teach their students.
I mentioned in my own post and was relieved to read others also mention that a lack of access (either portability or readability) prevents a lot of our students from learning the information in our reference resources. With the resources being so expensive already, acquiring a variety of them on similar topics with similar content with different reading levels is a significant challenge. This theme was timely and relevant in my own work, which I appreciated. I was humbled and learned about the various "hats" Teacher Librarians take on, which includes developing relationships by conducting reference interviews, as well as collaborating with classroom teachers, to advocating for funds for the School Library Learning Commons. I continue to believe that the role of the Teacher Librarian is that of a service role in the school community. Finally, I think that ultimately, the goal should be about providing access and opening doors, not closing them to our students, all while maintaining self-care. References Government of Alberta. (n.d.). Alberta Online Reference Centre. Retrieved February 15, 2019, from http://www.learnalberta.ca/OnlineReferenceCentre.aspx
KPMG Global. (n.d.). Union Budget 2018-19 [Digital image]. Retrieved February 15, 2019, from https://home.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/in/images/2018/01/budget18-Pre-Budget-Survey.jpg? Riedling, Ann, Shake, Loretta & Houston, Cynthia. (2013). Reference skills for the school library media specialist: Tools and tips, (Third Edition). Santa Barbara, CA: Linworth. Wearing Many Hats [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved February 15, 2019, from https://fundamentalacademy.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/wearing-lots-of-hats-300x265.jpg?w=300
I am attaching my assignment above in PDF format because the formatting of the rubrics becomes confusing upon publishing on the blog. You will notice an additional blank rubric in the PDF and a rubric filled in regarding the evaluation of the new work. Evaluation of a Reference Work Krista Belanger LIBE 467 – February 3, 2019 1 Abstract SML Christian Academy should replace the existing reference source, Everything You Need to Know About Science Homework: A Desk Reference for Students and Parents by Anne Zeman and Kate Kelly (2005) and replace it with Scholastic’s ScienceFlix. The aforementioned reference work, published by Scholastic, is out of date and is inaccessible to many in our student population. 2 Background The reference work, Everything You Need to Know About Science Homework: A Desk Reference for Students and Parents by Anne Zeman and Kate Kelly is a resource published by Scholastic in 2005. The first year of publication of this particular resource was 1994 in the USA. SML Christian Academy has had and used this resource extensively since it’s purchase in 2006. The original intent of the purchase of this book, according to staff, was to give students an additional, easy-to-read resource which would cover outcomes in the grades 4, 5, and 6 Science curriculum in Alberta. Up until January 2019, SML’s library has been housed on the stage in the gymnasium. The majority of resource and reference materials have been circulating in classrooms for at least three years, which is the case with this reference work. 3 Rubric Rubric for evaluation of a reference work, based on Everything You Need to Know About Science Homework: A Desk Reference for Students and Parents by Anne Zeman and Kate Kelly: 4 Evaluation Everything You Need to Know About Science Homework: A Desk Reference for Students and Parents by Anne Zeman and Kate Kelly overall has served its purpose at SML Christian Academy and is overdue for replacement. With the growing needs of our student population, differentiation is required in our reference materials. This particular text is relevant in terms of the curriculum, as almost all sections of grade 4-6 science are covered, with the exceptions of the entirety of mechanisms and levers (grade 4), wetland ecosystems (grade 5), and forestry (grade 6). This particular text is irrelevant, however, to students in our school community as the Lexile level is far too complex for many of our students (Lexile level is 970). The absolute top end for grade 4 reading is 950, and this text comes in above that level, making it inaccessible for most grade 4 students. To assume that students in grades 4-6 are at the same reading level does those students a disservice. This text is also irrelevant to our school community as it does not contain Canadian spelling, measurements, or referents (in math). Canadian students are not typically taught imperial measurements or about American landmarks, so citing feet when discussing the height of a volcano is not something our students have as a referent. Speeds, as listed on page 18, in miles per hour do not mean the same thing to our Canadian students as American students. The purpose of the text is to inform, but in our school’s context the purpose of the text also appears to be both biased and persuasive. There are scientific understandings in the text which do not correlate with the school’s belief system, so up-front scaffolding is to be done by the teacher to offer an alternative viewpoint. For example, on page 16, dinosaurs are written as “[first appearing] on earth 230 million years ago,” to be fair, finding a reference which includes other viewpoints, including our beliefs will be next to impossible. The currency of this text is out of date, as most reference materials are kept a maximum of 5 years. This particular text is from 2005 and still lists Pluto as a planet. There are no sources listed in this reference book, which brings into question the entire accuracy of the text and how it is written. There is no “about the author” section, which brings into question the reliability of the author. It should be noted that this text was purchased for ten dollars, and given that it is used extensively within the school, it seems to have fulfilled its worth. Since this text floats between three different classrooms throughout the school year, it is efficient in its use of space, as it is small and covers a lot of content. It would be a more efficient use of space if it were reliable and accurate. 5 Potential Replacement The potential replacement I have found is ScienceFlix by Scholastic. ScienceFlix is a portal where students and teachers can log in to watch, read, explore, and be redirected to other sites about various topics in Science. Science experiments are offered, as well as career suggestions for students who may be thinking about their future. ScienceFlix is an annual subscription-based service, however, Alberta Education provides schools with portal access, so provided SML is able to obtain their jurisdiction code and password and activate the product through Alberta Education, it is free for anyone within the school’s walls and connected to the school’s wi-fi. There are other options available as well through the Alberta Government website on their online reference center page (Government of Alberta, 2019). 6 Evaluation of Replacement To see the evaluation on the rubric at a glance, please see Appendix B. According to the rubric above, ScienceFlix meets the acceptable standard for Canadian content. When searching on the site for “colour” no results were returned. However, in an article about volcanoes, the measurement was taken in feet, but listed metres in brackets afterward. There are some Canadian places listed, but mostly American content is noted. There seem to be less images on each webpage than there were in the book, which brings the image criteria into the below expectations standard, rather than the exceeding expectation standard. However, it should be noted that there are videos on the webpages as well. There is an appendix and a glossary available on each article page as well as the top of each page, which brings the appendix, glossary, or index criteria to the acceptable standard. In terms of the ease of use, ScienceFlix falls into the acceptable category, mainly due to access being limited to being used on school property and using the school’s internet connection to be used without a fee. Many of the readings on the site are sectioned in such a way that navigating the site is easy, with the table of contents and lists of sections along the left navigation pane, with tabs at the top for science experiments and other exploratory opportunities. Accessibility to students was one of the largest shortfalls of the previous reference book, and ScienceFlix seems to exceed expectations in many ways. There are a variety of texts students can choose from for learning about many of the provided topics, at a variety of Lexile levels. In looking at articles related to volcanoes, I noticed the range in Lexile levels between 750 and 1200. This is much more accessible to students in terms of choice versus a hardcopy book. Built into the site is options to have the text read aloud sentence by sentence, and as each word is read it is highlighted. There is no need for students to use or have a read-aloud extension in Chrome while using this site. Another reason this text is more accessible is that key words are written in a bold font and definitions are linked below the text. As mentioned earlier, adding videos increases the accessibility of the text as well. In terms of reliability, the sources are listed at the bottom of each webpage, which demonstrates that the text comes from an external source. The Scholastic book company has some reliability as a source in the community, but not enough to indicate that it can fall in the exceeds expectations category. Based on what I have read, the accuracy of the information exceeds expectations, as it offers sources for their findings and I could not find any information on the site which was inaccurate. The currency of the text is less than three years old, which exceeds expectations for this piece of criteria. Since the reference is an online resource, adding or substituting text in favour of more current research is easier than publishing another book to make a small correction or addition. The purpose of the text is clear and student-friendly as it provides students opportunities to “go deeper” in the left navigation pane, it provides information which is presented to students in an accessible way, and it does not show its bias outright. I would have liked to have observed this resource explain multiple perspectives in regard to dinosaurs and the timeline of the Earth, but as I mentioned earlier, it would be incredibly difficult to find a completely unbiased scientific work or one that included every alternative viewpoint. Finally, curricular connections between the Government of Alberta and the various databases the Government provides to schools in Alberta are available through the Alberta Government website. A specialized list for Division Two (grades 4-6) is available through the ORC Support site (Online Reference Center, 2016). 7 Conclusion In conclusion, the reference work, Everything You Need to Know About Science Homework: A Desk Reference for Students and Parents by Anne Zeman and Kate Kelly, is out of date and inaccessible to many students in grades 4-6 at SML Christian Academy. A free option for substitution, provided the school is able to obtain their jurisdiction username and password for each school year is ScienceFlix, which provides students opportunities to learn much of the same content, more current content at their level. References Division II Science. (2016, April 10). Retrieved February 3, 2019, from
http://www.onlinereferencecentre.ca/division-ii-science.html Online Reference Centre - LearnAlberta.ca. (n.d.). Retrieved February 3, 2019, from http://www.learnalberta.ca/OnlineReferenceCentre.aspx?lang=en ScienceFlix. (n.d.). Retrieved February 3, 2019, from http://scienceflix.scholastic.com Zeman, A., & Kelly, K. (2005). Everything you need to know about science homework. New York: Scholastic Reference. This week's topic is incredibly timely and important for our students and our own understanding as teachers and teacher librarians. The knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of how learning literally extends beyond the four walls of our classrooms, and figuratively extends beyond the four walls of our communities is imperative to how learning needs to take place. I follow a Facebook group called HONY (Humans of New York). A number of years ago, Brandon Stanton, the photographer of the photo essay series compiled a bestseller of photos and stories of the title: Humans of New York. Since the release of that book, and a number of years later, HONY has extended itself to travelling to various countries and documenting the stories of people affected by the Rwandan Genocide, stories from veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan (Invisible Wounds), among others. Stanton's current project, documenting the stories of the Rwandan Genocide is particularly heartbreaking. At the time of this post, Stanton has released parts 7/9 of a woman who witnessed her own father's murder and the separation of her family. She has documented a variety of ways she has come close to death herself. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcm6kwWv09o HONY provides updates throughout the day on each of the stories with accompanying photos. The audience never knows which way the story will turn. The current story is agonizing to read, and even more difficult to read when not all of the parts are posted at once, as I am now thinking about what happened to her after her life was spared. What I always find comforting is the discussion in the comments section on the HONY posts, because ultimately, many of the people in the community are left speechless. In the Genocide series, the undercurrent has been through all of the stories, that the names of those who sacrificed themselves so others could live, or those who died without cause and because of their background are to be named and respected. The storytellers have said that by repeating the names of those innocent who died, they will not be forgotten. All of this being said, it is amazing that people across the globe can be brought together to create a community to bring one another up, to selflessly support each other, and to act with others' best interests at heart. HONY uses Patreon, which is a monthly subscription/donation service where Stanton funds his trips and makes donations on behalf of the Patreon members. Through Patreon, the members have paid for childrens' school tuition, for business start-ups, and to non-profit organizations where Stanton has interviewed it's organizer. All of the donations go directly to those who need it, and never to an entire community. However, the result is often that the entire community benefits because the generosity is often paid forward by those on the receiving end. A number of years ago, Me to We swept Canada. The premise was that students in their schools could work to benefit their schools, communities, and organizations across Canada. As the organization grew, the overhead increased, and it's my belief that the percentage of funds raised through the program being sent to non-profits plummeted. While perhaps an excellent idea, I think it ended up falling flat. I'll admit that when I saw our topic about Developing World Libraries, I had a fairly stereotypical image in my head. Given that, I took to the internet. Many images were not particularly helpful (see image below). As an aside: one of the images linked to another student in this course from 2014, so I thought that was neat! Source (google search: developing world libraries) Feeling uninspired, I took to reading the results from my search instead. What I came across should not have come as a surprise to me, but it did. The first, non-scholarly result resulted in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, whose goal is "to improve the lives of “information-poor” people while positioning the world’s public libraries as critical community assets for learning, creativity, and community development" (Gates Foundation, 2018). To me, it seems as though this goal is a no-brainer - libraries (both school and public) may not be struggling to the same extent as libraries in developing countries, or developing libraries, but there always seems to be a struggle to accommodate and be of interest to the needs of any community and context. According to the website, "The most successful public libraries around the world are proactively engaging with their communities to understand local needs and customize services to address community problems. What’s missing are the facts and data about how libraries directly improve people’s lives—including impact that advances the global Sustainable Development Goals. Without tangible proof to back up what library leaders intuitively know to be true, libraries will be forever fighting an uphill battle for recognition and resources. The knowledge and tools to measure library impact already exist. Leaders in the field must now commit to making outcome evaluation an integral part of library operations and using it to prove their worth" (Gates Foundation, 2018). I agree that support from those in positions of power, including principals, superintendents, and government bodies must be prepared to support our libraries and learning spaces to ensure that they are protected and valued. Image source: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Global-Libraries I found that while the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is not established in a developing country, it does serve developing libraries. The program is meant to provide opportunities for learning in libraries around the world. What is frustrating is the lack of transparency on their website about what actual physical programs are ongoing within libraries supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Image source: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Global-Libraries In my search, I also came across a website which spoke specifically to the need for electronic learning materials in colleges. While it addresses the need for resources, the article specifically calls out for the need of digital resources for students. The article states that "Having access to digital resources means that students have access to a large amount of information across a breed of topics; a click of a button produces a wide range of information contained in a specific subject area of need" (Baidoo, SAGE Connection, 2017). I often think that districts and high schools without subscriptions to electronic databases simply are not doing a good enough job in preparing their students for University. I get that the cost is extravagant, and I also understand that it is not something necessarily practical in every district. I remember attending University for my first year and having to take an Introduction to Interdisciplinary Writing where I learned absolutely everything about writing MLA, APA and Chicago type writing. I wrote essay after essay, paper after paper, reference page after works cited page, title pages, the whole nine yards, and my professor simply ripped every single sentence, punctuation mark, and mechanic to pieces. That particular course paved the way to my success in later years, because I never learned how to use a database before the class, I knew some of the basics of a works cited page, but never how to actually complete it. My writing is by no means perfect, nor is my formatting, but at least I know enough that I can help my students. When I taught high school, I told my students that the single recommendation I would make to them would be to take a University writing course because they would learn there what I simply did not have access to teaching them at our school. I wrote earlier that I think not providing students access to using a database in their schooling prior to college or University is doing them a disservice. I make this statement out of frustration for those students who were not fortunate enough to take the same course I did, who chose a "fun" elective and later regretted it. If a country who is not considered 'developing' is doing a disservice to it's students, imagine a developing country and what it is not able to provide it's students. According to Wired, "four years ago, the United Nations predicted that more than half of the global population would be connected to the internet by 2017" (Global Internet Access is Even Worse Than Dire Reports Suggest, 2018), which, according to Wired, was not met. According to the International Telecommunications Union, "[the UN] counts a person as using the internet if they managed to get online at least once in the last three months," which is problematic because "The economic benefits of having internet access don’t kick in or become real until you are using the internet consistently" (Ellerly Biddle, Global Voices Advox, 2018). Another problem with the definition of access is that "in some countries there is very fast connectivity, in others you might have a spotty 3G connection that goes in and out, so what you can do with it is really restricted" (Dhanaraj Thakur, 2018). In addition, the technology required for internet access "remains out of reach for many around the world due to cost" (Wired, 2018). Even when there is access to a phone or the internet, "women in many developing countries are still less likely than men to use the internet" (2018), due to affordability, general literacy, and digital literacy. Given all of this dire discussion regarding the limitations currently in our world, libraries in developing communities certainly are going to continue to struggle. To summarize: - Access depends on both affordability and physical access of a device. - There remains a lack of access worldwide to the internet through cell phones and through tablets or other devices. - Women are less likely than men in developing countries to access the internet due to affordability and literacy. - Foundations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation say that they are helping provide access to technology in developing countries, but are not transparent in their successes beyond a few pictures and videos on their website. - Close to home, students are not equally provided access to databases and services which will aide them in their post-secondary studies. - Online communities can promote inclusion, feelings of empathy and compassion, as well as foster incredible change. - Simply standing by and waiting for change to happen is not enough. - Utilizing and relying on a large corporation may not be the most effective way to create change and provide access. - Technology recycling programs which have been abandoned should never have been abandoned in the first place. With people upgrading to new devices year after year, destroying or repurchasing them instead of donating them is wasteful. References [Cell phone recycling]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2018, from https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwja-oGSxKDeAhXUOn0KHSs5AEMQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https://hobi.com/tag/cell-phone-recycling/page/3/&psig=AOvVaw1J5bLDc9D-R1sYNN8QJ9Gf&ust=1540520470300096
[Mashable]. (2013, October 15). This Is The Human Behind "Humans of New York" | Mashable Docs [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcm6kwWv09o Dreyfuss, E. (2018, October 23). Global Internet Access Is Even Worse Than Dire Reports Suggest. Retrieved October 24, 2018, from https://www.wired.com/story/global-internet-access-dire-reports/ Gates Foundation. (n.d.). Global Libraries. Retrieved October 24, 2018, from https://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Global-Development/Global-Libraries Ogut, P., P., & University College London. (2017, October 06). Humans of New York: Platform for social change or sentimental storytelling? Retrieved October 24, 2018, from http://wpmu.mah.se/nmict172group4/2017/10/06/humans-new-york-platform-social-change-sentimental-storytelling/ SAGE Publishing. (2017, April 13). Digital resources in developing world libraries: Supporting research needs and increasing usage. Retrieved October 24, 2018, from https://connection.sagepub.com/blog/opinions/2017/04/13/digital-resources-in-developing-world-libraries-supporting-research-needs-and-increasing-usage/ |
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