Welcome – the second

session!Nerine Chalmers BA, Grad CE, M of Ed. (TL)

Blurb for the PD series:

Helping students improve their research skills: good questioning

skills; using the PLUS search process;

students searching on the internet. 

First session:Introduction and overview.Development through the school – MYP Personal Projects

Continuing……….How does this tie in with 21st century learning?How does this tie in with Units of Inquiry?PLUSHands on

Second Session (March 4):Go through all stages of PLUS – include scaffolding for students. How the research would be organized; what lessons it would involve; what the students would do; how the TL could help; what the teacher would do. Hands-on session, using current planners, work on specific examples.

Go through all stages of PLUS – include scaffolding for students. Resources:Information Tasks Differentiation Strategies – Tomlinson and McTigheBeyond Bird Units Loertscher, Koechlin and ZwaanA-Z Graphic Organisers H:\Primary School\Language 2008-2009\A to Z\WritingLibrary Wiki:

Primary Library Senior Library

Kids' Research PortalTemplates in Inspiration

PLUS on line!

The Topsy Factor:

"Do you know who made you?"    "Nobody as I know on," replied the

child, "I 'spect I jest growed.”

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

The Topsy Factor:PLUS, incorporating the Inquiry CyclePLUS as an information search processThe importance of questioningThe inquiry itselfWhere the inquiry will leadThe 21st Century LearnerThe role of TechnologyInformation literacy framework from Gr 2 – 5

Research done in Hong Kong (2008) into the development of research skills through inquiry-based learning:

Review of the literature suggests that the implementation of an IBL approach in schools includes the following seven key components:

1. Students are provided with rich information sources (Alloway et al., 1997; Jakes, Pennington, & Knodle, 2002);2. Students are equipped with information literacy skills (Alloway et al.; Harada, 2002; Kuhlthau, 2003);

Review of the literature (continued):

3. A climate of inquiry is created in the classroom (Alloway et al.; Hakkarainen, Lipponen, Jarvela, & Niemivirta, 1999);4. Scaffolding support is provided to students in developing driving questions (Alloway et al.; Harada & Yoshina, 2004a; Jakes et al.; McKenzie, 1997);5. Students go through an information-seeking process (Harada; Kuhlthau);6. Students develop their own research process (Harada; Kuhlthau);7. Students learn to present their findings (Alloway; Jakes et al.).

Review of the literature (continued):

Owens, Hester, and Teale (2002) reported on the use of technology to support Inquiry Based Learning programs for 7-15-year-old urban students. They suggested that technology:enhances cognition, particularly in areas of reading and writing. technology can serve as a ground for students’ active construction of knowledge, rather than as tutor and communicator of informationFurthermore, access to technology makes schools seem more real-world, and students are able to push the boundaries of their traditional school curriculum.

PLUS

Preparation/Planning

Location

Use

Self-evaluation

P

L

US

S

P

P

Stage 1:

Tuning in

Stage 2:

Preparing to find out

Stage 3:

Finding out

Stage 4:

Sorting outStage 5:

Going Further

Stage 6:

Making Connection

Stage 7:

Taking Action Inquiry Cycle

Inquiry is “Doing” and can come from anything.Inquiry stems from the known and is provoked by authentic experiences.Authentic life experience is fundamental to true inquiry

P

L

US

PL

UU

S

P

Invitation

Wondering

Connection

Investigation

Demonstration

Reflection

Representation

Evaluation

Action Inquiry Cycle

Inquiry is “Doing” and can come from anything.Inquiry stems from the known and is provoked by authentic experiences.Authentic life experience is fundamental to true inquiry

P

L

US

S

P

P

PLUS (Incorporating the Topsy Factor)

Preparation/Planning (The importance of meaningful questioning; the inquiry itself)

Location and Use (Information Literacy; the role of technology; the 21st century learner)

Self-evaluation (Where the inquiry will lead – Action; further questioning)

P - Preparation/Planning

For the teacher:

Doug Johnson’s 4A’s of Great Research:

Assignments that matterActivities that InvolveAssessments that HelpAttitude is Everything

P - Preparation/PlanningFor the student: NB the need for prior knowledge. Students will not have a successful inquiry if they have no grounding.Brainstorming - What exactly is my topic about? What do I already know about this topic? Identifying an information need. Learning to frame realistic research questions. Planning a piece of research using diagrams or headings. Identifying keywords.

QuestioningJamie McKenzie talks about building answers as opposed to gathering. For him the qualities of a serial questioner are, among others:Humility, relentless curiosity, indefatigable persistence, dogged determination, open-mindedness, tolerance of ambiguity, thirst for the missing, wit, vivid imagination.

Sense of wonder, curiosity, wish to understand.

Essential Questions – Fact finding

or deep understanding?Are we thinkers or collectors?

•Deal with matters of importance•Must lead to some challenge or action – move beyond understanding and studying•Cannot be answered by Yes or No•May be frustrating•May be unanswerable

ScaffoldingProvides clear directionsClarifies purposeBreaks down complex tasks into manageable expectationsKeeps students on taskOffers assessment to clarify expectationsPoints students towards worthy sources

L – LocationUse my key words and questions to search for the information I need. Where will I find it?

Print resources, pre-selected web sites, search engines, on-line resources, reference books, non-fiction books, multimedia resources.

Selection skills – what to look for, and how to evaluate it. Relevancy, currency, accuracy, reliability.

Searching skills

Keeping a resource list; bibliography.

U – USEHow will I use the information I have found? Make notes? Draw a diagram? Draw a concept map?

Skills:Reading skills, skimming and scanning, Interactive skills – do I understand what I am reading, how can I relate this to what I know already?Recording skillsSynthesizing skillsWriting or presentational skillsCreativityConstructing knowledge

S – SELF EVALUATION

Have I found the answers to my questions? Were my questions searching ones? Did I have useful key words? Have I kept a record of the sources I used?

Am I happy with the way my work was presented? What action will follow from this work? What new questions have I come up with?

Information Literacy Standards for the Digital Learners of New

York 1. Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.

2. Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge.

3. Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively.

4. Develop an appreciation for ideas and information in pursuit of personal growth.

Digital learners transfer current knowledge to the use of new information technologies.

Interaction

Printout

Final version

Presentation

Rewriting

Transportation of Text

Information LiteracyInterventions

FINDING, ACCESSING AND EVALUATING INFORMATION

CONSTRUCTING NEW UNDERSTANDINGS

Ross Todd presenting in UK

InteractionP

U SL

TRANSFORMATION

LiteracyInterventions

QUESTIONING, CREATING, COLLABORATING, CONSTRUCTING, ACTION, QUESTIONING,

CONSTRUCTING NEW UNDERSTANDINGS

Creativity and representation

Literacies for the Information Generation

Basic Literac

y

Critical Literacy

Technological Literacy

Inquiry and Problem Solving

Ethics and Social Responsibility

Five kinds of learning in the inquiry processKinds 0f learning Types of intervention

Curriculum content

For fact finding, interpreting and synthesisng

Information Literacy

For locating, evaluating, and using information

Learning how to learn

For initiating, exploring, focusing, collecting and presenting

Literacy competency

For improved reading, writing, speaking and listening

Social Skills For interacting, cooperating and collaborating

PLUS in the Primary School Simple LanguageTeacher reference Student support and scaffolding Literacy framework at each grade levelWho is going to facilitate the process?In which lessons?

Third Session (18

March): Research on the WWW. Pre-selected sites. Searching the net. How can we help

students search – which search engines to use.

Acknowledging sources