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On searching, web literacy, and the ubiquitous “animal report”
16 CommentsGood morning all,
I’ve had some great conversations lately with colleagues in my school about our kids’ abilities (or lack thereof) regarding web searches and gathering/processing information for reports (about animals, New Jersey counties, the Solar System, you name it.) As we’ve unpacked those discussions, I’ve had a few revelations about my curriculum (and am making some changes!) I also have been pondering effective use of search engines (e.g. Mother Google as well as dedicated, school-friendly index sites like NetTrekker and Ebsco Host).
I’ve come to the (somewhat obvious, sorry) conclusion that good search and information processing skills must first be learned offline and then transferred online, not the other way around. Kids need to be able to process grade-appropriate text, images, charts and graphs in print well before they have any chance of being able to do so using the web. (Think Big6 and Super3.)
One unfortunate consequence of the flood of information sources on the web today is that because it’s so easy for us, some adults might think kids can be simply be plopped in front of a computer and be expected to “do research.” After all, they’re “digital natives,” right? BZZZZZZT! Wrong. Sorry, thank you for playing. Next contestant, please! To succeed in today’s digital world, learners first need outstanding analog skills. Otherwise, technology can be more of a hindrance than a help.
These conversations got kicked into overdrive thanks to a chat I had with Marianne Gill, our Media Specialist. (I’ve long believed that the Media Center is the coolest place in school, where print, audio, video and digital media all naturally converge.) We share similar outlooks, interests and perspectives, and we both teach in the “specials” rotation (though my class is not a prep). As a result we’re constantly comparing notes and trying to find ways to work together. The same goes for our Elementary Librarian, Cheryl Bonsall. (Yes, they read my blog … hi guys!)
As we’ve looked at how we teach information literacy, it’s clear I have some opportunities to delve into techniques and tools I’ve traditionally thought others have been covering. Holy ASS-U-ME, Batman! When a student sits down at a workstation, punches text into a search engine, and is blasted with a visual smorgasbord of information, how are they going to process it all?
The answer is they will process it the same way they have learned to process all information. Trouble is, when they are staring at a screen, in some ways, the task is actually harder.
Setting those foundation information processing skills aside for a moment, where will elementary kids go to find what they need? I’m jazzed about the latest changes to Ebsco Host I’ve just seen, thanks to Marianne Gill. Check out this start page:
Love, love, LOVE this user interface (UI), it’s very intuitive and I think kids will figure it out easily. (We’ll soon find out!) I searched for “Komodo dragon” and got a pretty long list of hits, but with one click was able to restrict that to the ‘animals’ database and then PRESTO, I found this (most of the content is blurred out to respect copyright):
The paragraphs above include EVERY PIECE OF DETAIL I HAVE EVER SEEN A TEACHER ASK FOR IN AN ANIMAL REPORT! Habitat, diet, location, predators/prey, unique/interesting facts, defenses, how it raises its young, everything. It’s all there! With a page like this, it is EASY for me to leverage the student’s existing literacy skills and help them glean what they need for their report. With this screen blown up large on the wall in my lab, I can clearly show the kids how to select, interpret, and restate facts in their own words. I don’t know what the reading level is but it seems workable for grades 3-4, possibly as low as grade 2.
But what if you don’t have access to a service like Ebsco Host? We also use NetTrekker, and that site does a terrific job of categorizing and presenting a wide variety of resources, but it doesn’t present content – it links to it. So, a “hit” that looks great on the list is only an intermediate step; the kids still need to navigate the site, find the data they need and then make their notes. THOSE are skills *I* can teach in the lab (and something I can do better!)
But what if you don’t have access to ANY service like those above? What if you have to use something like Yahoo!Kids or even Google itself? Bottom line: if your students have good search and information processing skills, AND they have learned how to navigate websites and translate the information they find into their own words, they’ll be fine. It’s the responsibility of all educators in a school – classroom teachers, technology teachers, library/media specialists – to work together to ensure that is the case!
Wow! You’re still reading? Thanks! :-)
Hope this helps,
-kj-
Published on December 19, 2008 · Filed under: Search Tools;
16 Responses to “On searching, web literacy, and the ubiquitous “animal report””
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Kevin,
Loved this post. Thanks for putting a concept that I have been grappling with into a simple reasonable answer!
Linda George aka georgygrrl -
Wow, just noticed your Traffic Feed is cooler than mine. Gotta fix that ASAP! ;)
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This was a timely read for me, as I’ve been helping several different teachers facilitate research processes in their own classrooms. In many cases, these middle and high school folks are finding that they are the first teachers to invite kids to do this sort of work, and it’s been difficult watching them grapple with underdeveloped “offline” research processes (we’ve been using the Big 6). Your perspective here is validating…thanks!
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Great post, Kevin. I’ve just recently found Ebsco Kids Search and am excited for the kids to use it. I’ve used Google in the past and it was really a nightmare for the younger ones to use.
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Nadine said on December 19th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Great post. Our district has come to a similar revelation – and the problem is pretty complex. We discovered that we don’t really give the students direct instruction on how to take the information they need, formulate a question, and then use that question to manipulate a few key words in a search field. (Except maybe a little in 4th grade when the students are researching their animal reports.) Furthermore, I am not convinced that Google is the best search engine to work with for inexperienced searchers. All the computers in the district are set to Ask.com. Ask became my favorite search engine when I saw Alan November do a workshop on information literacy a couple of years ago. Ask is great because it helps the user expand and narrow their search with key phrases in the navigation bar. For really young students, we’re concerned about reading levels of the articles and the overwhelming amount of results that a search brings back, so we pull together a list of sites, or the directory page of google for a specific topic (like mammals) – kind of like a “poor man’s” Nettrekker for the students to start with. In addition, it’s really helpful for the students to develop a research plan before they even sit down at the computer, so they recognize the information they need when they see it. (Yes, Johnny this article does tell what lions eat. See the word “diet” in this paragraph…)
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Nancy said on December 19th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
For those who do not have access to subscription based services, yet are hesitant about exposing primary students to Google there is a solution. What about ‘Customized Google Search’ engines? The concept is really quite simple. You designate the websites that will be searched when a term is entered into the search field. Of course, the task of gathering those websites could be a little daunting. So what if you enlisted the aid of high school students? Give them the topic, let them do the searching (keeping in mind the grade level of the students who will be doing the searching), plug in the urls and VOILA!!!
And of course, keep in mind that there are many child-friendly search engines out there as well, such as KidsClick!
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I’ve been picking at this concept for a long time. I observe my own two sons (now twelve and fourteen) struggle with information – both online and in print. It’s something that doesn’t really seem to be taught enough. At the beginning of the summer, I had a conversation via Skype with Carolyn Foote. She helped me delve into EBSCO. While my school does not purchase the service, every child who has access to a public library card can use the database through their local library’s website.
I have yet to introduce search databases at my school, but it is on my plate for 2009. I will take a good look at Kids Search. I’d be very interested in lessons plans that you develop for your students.
Thanks!
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Wow! Thanks for the comments everyone. I didn’t think that many people would actually get to the end of my post – let alone offer such great insights.
Ok, so, we’ve got a problem. What are we gonna do about it?
I love Nancy’s idea of Google Custom Search engines, and for those of you not familiar with that, here’s the 411:
http://www.google.com/coop/cse/
Nancy’s other suggestion,
is a terrific, free, educationally-focused alternative to Google. But, at some point, we’ve got to make sure these kids know the mechanics of reading, analyzing, interpreting and restating, way before they start clicking around the web with abandon. Nadine nails it with the ‘research plan’ – kids need to know what they are looking for – and I could see this divided up into bite-sized, grade-appropriate, differentiated morsels. That is where I want to focus with my second graders, with the help of their classroom teachers and our library/media specialists. It will probably be “Big6/Super 3″ driven. Why reinvent the wheel?
The other point I’d like to make is this is going to take extended effort over time. Imagine what skills our kids will develop after years of this learning is scaffolded. And, imagine how easy it will be for them to make the jump to online research when they’re so grounded in the offline variety!
Thanks again, everyone!
-kj-
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Great post Kevin. You’ve given me a lot to think about. We talk quite a bit about scaffolding in our district but I don’t think I’ve ever heard it mentioned when it comes to research. I think this is a really important point. I’m not sure what type of research skills are going on in the classroom or library. I guess it’s time for me to find out.
We do have Nettrekker. One of my favorite parts of this service is the ability to have text read to students. I have many students that need this help. But they need to be able to find key words.
I’ll be checking out “Big6/Super3″ as well as Ebsco.
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Hi Nedra,
I think there are many great opportunities for folks like us (those teaching in computer labs) to dive into this with classroom teachers and library/media folks. All students do this kind of research at some point or another. Maybe we need some sort of ‘best practices’ compilation og tech/library/classroom collaborations. We need to move away, in my view, from technology “integration” and more just “good teaching.” I see lesson ownership as the main stumbling block there. It’s the usual story; if other teachers have lessons they are happy with, there’s little motivation for them to change. Time to put our “salesperson” hats on!
-kj-
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Thanks, Kevin, for the resources and insights.
I’m working this year (through an EETT grant) with 4th grade teachers and their students. Last month while visiting one of the classrooms, I watched a 4th grader sit and stare at the monitor as he visited via Kidsclick.org a site on California Missions. The splash page was easy enough to navigate, but once he hit the enter link, he had not a clue as to how to read the pages nor what it was he was supposed to walk away with.
The focus of my grant has been to introduce students to authentic writing purposes and audiences via Web 2.0. I realize now the importance of also teaching students not only analog/digital research skills, but also online reading skills, which do take on a different structure than text reading skills. I’ll be re-visiting the Big6/Super3 – along with Donald Leu’s and Julie Cioro’s work on integrating new reading literacies, which emphasizes that research starts with the analog part before students go online.
Thanks for starting such an important conversation. I also praise the work you are doing as a computer teacher – truly modeling 21st century teaching and issues.
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Hi Gail,
Thanks for commenting. Your vignette really hits home, especially because when it happened to me recently, I was racked with guilt … after all, isn’t it MY responsibility (as the computer teacher) to ensure the kids have those skills? Their failure is my failure. I finally got so angry at myself I decided enough was enough and this blog post was born. :-)
That’s when I realized this was a much bigger issue that as you point out Leu and Cioro have identified, “research starts with the analog part before students go online.” (Thank you for that link!) So my focus now is to work with the classroom teachers and our library/media specialists to see this gets done, and for technology to facilitate the process, not overwhelm it!
-kj-
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Hi again Gail,
Just wanted to add to my previous reply – first, thanks for the kind words and for reading! I’d probably still blog here if no one read it, but, it’s nice to know people are getting value out of what I share.
Second, I was wondering if you could tell me more about your work. I’m checking out your blog right now – “Why We Should Teach Media Literacy” is really hitting home, and it led me to the EdTechTalk archive of
“Teachers Teaching Teachers #131 – Discussing Participatory Culture – 12.03.08.” I’m listening to it now.My overall question is how to begin these conversations with my already-busy colleagues, in the absence of a grant-funded initiative. We’re pretty creative, though, so any advice, no matter how small, could be beneficial – please fire away when you get a chance!
Best, kj
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Hi Kevin,
Your question reminds me of a similar question Steve Hargadon asked me shortly after he created Classroom 2.0: “How many conversations and online communities can a teacher realistically participate in?” For myself, as a technology integration specialist for a K12 school district, I am often overwhelmed by all the resources so generously shared by a growing number of bloggers. My Bloglines and Google Reader feeds seem to be growing exponentially;-)
This year I am trying to focus on resources for the 4th grade teachers in my EETT grant. They are a group of 18 wonderful teachers + 3 very caring principals – all of whom are overwhelmed by the demands placed on Title 1 classrooms and the fear of sliding into NCLB School Improvement sites. Much of the school day is dedicated to test prep.
Yet I can’t think of a more important conversation to begin than how to provide students with analog and digital research skills. All the multiple-choice prep in the world will not do a thing to boost students’ ability to shift through and – more import – question information.
To answer your question about my work, specifically some of my posts, the National Writing Project has had a huge impact on my interest in exploring the intersection between technology and literacy. My PLN has also been greatly extended by edubloggers like you, who are “out there every day in the trenches,” but still make time to reflect on their practice , share what works and what doesn’t, and invite others into the conversation.
When I head back to work next week, I’m looking forward to sharing your idea of using PowerPoint as a note-taking tool. What a great way to provide emerging researchers with the scaffolding to guide them from process to product:-).
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Thanks for the additional info, Gail. You’ve hit the nail on the head – test prep doesn’t leave much time to develop research skills – so when & how will you be able to get TO it? After the test, maybe?
Please let me know how the template works out for you!
-kj-
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Middle school kids are no better. There is just something so alluring about the simple interface of Google. Recently I have been showing kids really BAD websites that I just googled (good ol’ MLK and Mankato, MN) to make them understand how search engines work, and how not knowing or understanding this and believing everything they see in google is just wrong. But sending them to scdiscus.org (our state db portal) sends chills up their spine–and the common complaint–too confusing, dont know what to do here–rings true. We also have Ebscohost. So what has been the most alluring way to get kids to use the paid db? I made a quick commercial based on “Got Milk? theme. It goes sort of like this: “Hate this? (show lightspeed block access denied) Use This! (Logo for subscription db). It has made them memorable at least. Still though, far too many turn to Google, despite KNOWING now how the pages are indexed. Have you seen the Common Craft Searching web pages made easy? I used it as well in teaching about web searching. I like the simplicity of it too.
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