Re-thinking my Bias to a Reference Source

After reading section 4 of lesson 4, “References and Teacher-Librarian Bias,” I have decided to give some online sources that I discouraged my students from using another chance.  One example of a source that I will give another chance to is Wikipedia.  One of the reasons that I have steered my students away from Wikipedia in the past is that it is unreliable in the area of Accuracy, Authority, and Bias.  Because anyone can write into or change an entry in Wikipedia, it is impossible to know if the information is accurate and free of bias.  This area or accuracy however is only one of Reidling’s (and my) criteria for the evaluation of reference materials and although important may not be a reason to completely disregard an information source.  The accuracy of information on Wikipedia can be confirmed by simply comparing the information gained on the site with information gained from other sources and making sure that it is consistent.  The advantages of Wikipedia are its scope is often the perfect depth for elementary students, it is presented in a user-friendly layout, it is extremely current and it is free.  Those are a lot of advantages!  I will be recommending Wikipedia as a good source of reference to my students in the future but will be warning them about the accuracy problem and explaining to them the importance of comparing the information they glean from Wikipedia to other sources of information to make sure it is consistent.

Evaluation Processes for Reference Material

Reading Jenny’s discussion about Rieldling’s approach to evaluation process for reference materials has given me some food for thought.

 Jenny writes:

“For example, one of Riedling’s criteria is to consider if the resource material is similar to other ones the library already has. I believe that this rule may need to be “bent” a bit in order to accommodate for special cases in the school (ESL, special needs, etc.). The language used in some resources may be too difficult or complex for some students and they will need modified works so they can be independent learners and researchers too. Additionally, it is possible that the library will need to have many similar books that can be read by low and moderate readers such as with entry level ESL students vs. level 2 ESL students.”

 I find a lot of truth in Jenny’s discussion of Reilding’s criteria for the evaluation process of reference materials.  In my library, I am often bending criteria, shaping it to fit my unique school make-up.  My school in Surrey is made up of about 530 students of which about 90% are ESL.  Many reference materials that are excellent, well written, well organized works are simply too challenging for most of my students to read.  For example, most of the students in grades 4 and 5 read at about a grade 3 level, (World Book is too challenging for them to read).  A few years ago, however, the Surrey School District provided an opportunity for TL’s to update their reference sections for free and most libraries that I have worked in, including the one I presently work in, have a set of World Book Kids encyclopedias that have large font, more pictures and easier vocabulary.  These encyclopedias would definitely pass Reidling’s criterea. They are written at about a grade 3 level and are an excellent reference resource for any school, especially a high ESL school.  

Something to remember

Reidling quotes the American Library Association's definition of information literate individuals,  "...people who have learned how to learn.  They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information... These people are prepared for lifelong learning." 

As a teacher-librarian, I am constantly working not to answer students' questions but to ask them questions in return that will help them discover how to figure out the answer themselves.  Once they learn that they can do this, I have noticed that they will often use the knowledge they attained from their last discovery and apply it to figuring out the answers to new questions.  Fabulous!

Technology Literacy

A statement and its repercussions have attracted my attention from lesson 1.  

Statement  "Students are much more comfortable and familiar with computer technologies than previous generations."

Repercussion  "It is still questionable whether students are "technically literate" and other skills such as problem solving/thinking skills may have been neglected."

I agree with the idea that students are more comfortable and familiar with computer technology now than in previous generations.  That said, the repercussion that accompanies this statement is obvious to me every day.  Many students believe that because they can google something, they know all about it.  I have often encountered a student who has found some great information on a topic and when I ask them to explain it to me, they are completely unable.  Their critical thinking skills are not being drawn upon and they do not seem to understand that it is not just the locating of information that is important but the understanding and applying of this information.  A grade 7 teacher that I work with tells me that no matter how long she takes explaining to her students that copy/pasting from the internet is plagiarism, she always receives a few assignments directly from the internet.  It is important to work with students to stress the importance of really synthesizing the information that they locate and turning it into something that is meaningful to themselves, their peers and teachers!