Auntie Librarian

A few weeks ago I purchased two refurbished iPads for the library. The iPads are now available to students for in-library use and are soon to be available for teachers to check out. I purchased Otter Box protective cases, screen protectors and an App Store gift card to load the iPads with a few apps. I called Apple with my questions about setting the iPads up and creating a library account. They were very helpful. My School Librarian guru Cathy Jo Nelson was even more helpful with a few tips. I am especially thankful to know that the Apple login remains "open" for window of about 15 minutes after each session. I must be careful not to lend out the iPads immediately after I have been logged on with our account, especially if there is money left in the account.


We will be having the first iPad workshop for teachers after school on Wednesday. Teachers who are interested in checking out the iPads will be required to attend one of the workshops that will be offered and sign a copy of the iPad policy. Teachers who are not interested in checking out the iPads are also encouraged to attend. The iPads will be checked out to teachers in a neoprene zipper case with the charger, an iPad to VGA cable and a 6ft VGA cable to act as an extension enabling teachers to connect the iPad to their Smart Board for display purposes.

 Students have been checking out and "playing" with the iPads during their lunch periods. The students with iPads must sit and stay at a designated table while they are using the iPad. Once I have checked out the iPads to students during any given lunch period, it is not long before there is a small crowd surrounding the two students. I have loaded strictly educational apps onto them. I enjoy watching the students use the iPads, thinking they are just playing. It also makes me smile when I see the students show each other how to use the iPads. Hearing the astonishment in students voices as they say, "We can use those iPads? You bought them for US to use?" (translate: Really? You trust us? They are not just for teachers?) has made me feel rich (and daring) like a king presiding over a feast.


I remember reading somewhere that one thing that shaped Bill Gates was access to a networked computer at school, where the thirteen-year-old Gates learned to program. Two iPads may not have a tremendous impact on my entire school, but the possibility that it might impact one or two students is the reason I made this leap. Some of my students have their own iPads and iPhones. Most of them do not. There are schools where every student has their own iPad - right now. My school is not one of them, but my students will have to compete for the same jobs and opportunities as the students who come from these schools.


I have been partnering with Pam Fowler, a technology teacher at my school in setting up the iPads, planning the training and learning about the educational possibilities these iPads could inspire. It is our hope that teachers will check out the iPads, recommend apps for downloading, and offer students the option of using an iPad in a future project or assignment. I think it has been a good move to start off with just two iPads while we learn the ropes. If all goes well, we will apply for grants and look into purchasing more.

My sister and I were out shopping a few weeks ago when we stumbled upon a store that specializes in paper goods, invitations, scrap booking, wrapping paper, stationery and other paper crafts. Their window display featured some of the most adorable valentines I had ever seen. Not only were they adorable, they were hip. They were cool. They were perfect for my middle school students.  As soon as I saw these  were part of a make your own valentines kit, I knew I had to have them for my upcoming family library night.


My mother used to let herself be inspired by things she saw on TV, in magazines or on display at a shop. After preparing the most delicious dish for dinner, or creating a gorgeous centerpiece for her dining room table I remember her saying, "I saw it, and I said to myself, I can do that!" and she did.  I felt just like her as I delighted in making valentines with the parents and students who attended family night at my library.


It was a true family night indeed. Parents brought their children, along with their younger siblings and we all had a grand time making valentines together. The parents made valentines, the little brothers and sisters made valentines, the students made valentines, we all talked and enjoyed refreshments. About 20 people came in all, which was perfect. If there were any more people, I don't know if the event would have felt as intimate.



The more I reflect on the event, the better it gets. The simplicity of it is what makes it great. Here is a school event that does not require team or club membership; it is open to everyone. There is no practice or competition, and no grades. Students participate alongside their siblings and parents and teachers. What a great way to build a sense of community.


As I cleaned up after the event, rather than feeling tired and worn out, I felt energized by how well the event went. There is something therapeutic about sitting around a table with other people, cutting and gluing together, and making something for someone else. When my mother was inspired by cooking shows and magazine covers, my whole family enjoyed the results. It is a great feeling to allow myself to be inspired, silencing the negative, nay saying voice in my head , and watch others enjoy the results of my inspiration.

Teaching middle school students research skills can be like pulling teeth.  I worked with our Language Arts Teachers on note taking lessons recently. The lessons went well, thankfully.  The next step is the research project. I suggested different approach to the research project this time. Baby steps: before doing a big intense research project, try a "mini" research project. This will enable students to practice gathering and recording source information, taking notes and writing to inform. The finished product will be notes, one citation, and one paragraph of information. Once these are graded and returned and the teacher is ready for another research project, students can be required to submit more notes, more sources and more paragraphs. Taking a baby steps approach like this may lead to less frustration and more success for students and teachers and possibly a better view of research projects in general.


Check out this link to an idea page from the IRA/NCTE.
More ideas can be found here.

I worked with my sixth graders this week. The topic at hand was evaluating online information sources, basic search tips and Google tips. We used RAD CAB , You Tube Videos and had some hands on practice since the lesson was in the library's computer lab. I really enjoy this lesson. The students are always impressed with the "secret powers" of Google like the calculator, translator, dictionary and time. They love looking at questionable websites such as:

• Dog Island Free Forever - this is my favorite site, probably because I love dogs. 
• Save the Pacific Northwestern Tree Octopus - with the ocean temperatures rising Octopus are adapting, evolving and finding new homes in trees.
• The Republic of Molossia - very entertaining and amusing. Years of work have gone into this. 

I have recently griped on this blog about my students overuse of Yahoo Answers for quick research. I know these sites offer quick and easy answers and they may be more good than bad. I was able to find a convincing example as to why Yahoo Answers and sites similar to it should be used very cautiously.

I remember years ago, sitting in front of Alan November as he spoke about validating online information and told a story about a student doing online research for a report on the holocaust. The student found holocaust revisionist information that was posted by a  math professor on a university website under the professor's "personal" server space. Since information was posted under the university's address, the information seemed  trustworthy and university endorsed.  The tilde ~ symbol in the address would have helped give away the personal directory to a savvy user. The unsuspecting student ended up using information suppporting the views of holocaust revisionists in his paper. The professor's site was taken down from the university's server long ago. However, this same paper is still online on The Committee for Open Debate of the Holocaust's website. I searched for the professor and used the Google tool "link to:" to find the same article that was previously located on the university page.

 A response on Yahoo Answers links to it now and if my students need evidence as to why this is not the best site to use for research, there it is. The response and the answers are five years old. The link is still there. I wonder why nobody has reported it? The person who asked the question chose another response as the best answer and Leon 007's answer is listed as the last one. (Does that mean his was the first answer?) This makes the whole thing seem innocuous, but I think it is still a good example. I used the link to show students that they can click at the end of the url and backspace until they get to the main page to see where the page they are using is located. The CODOH website has remade their image recently. It used to be much more confrontational. It now has a more friendly look.

I think the lesson was successful. Now my sixth grade students have a better picture of the vast spectrum of information available online: unbiased facts and information, extremist information, propaganda,  just plain silly fun and more! All the more reason to be a critical consumer when shopping for good information.

Someone recently posted a comment about using Wikipedia for research. I think this topic is important enough to dedicate a post to.

"We have always been told our students should not use Wikipedia for research because anyone can change the information, it is not "locked" so to speak. 
Is this true Auntie Librarian?"


Yes, it is true that anyone can change the information in Wikipedia. The information is not "locked" at all. Wikipedia itself does not claim to be a reliable source.   However, I have no problem telling my students that they should not exclude Wikipedia or be afraid to use Wikipedia in their researching and here is why:

• I tell all of my students to always consult multiple sources when researching. I recommend that students use at least three different sources when they gather information for their projects. When multiple sources are consulted, errors and reliability should become evident. 
• I inform all of my students that anyone can edit Wikipedia. They use this site knowing that it can be edited by anyone. Therefore, it may not be students first choice for research or the best site in their opinion. Here is the important part: students are information consumers who need to be able to develop their own opinions and skills to determine what sources they consider to be high quality or worthy of their use.
• Students should not use any source with blind faith and should question the reliability of the majority of the online content they use. Critical thinking and evaluation is very important. 
• Print and online non-wiki encyclopedias have errors too. 
• Print encyclopedias are often out of date soon after they are printed.
• Since anyone can change Wikipedia, it is very often more up to date than other sources. 
• In 2005, a study comparing Wikipedia to Encyclopedia Britannica found Wikipedia to have 162 errors in the articles reviewed compared to 123 for Britannica.  (Jim Giles, 2005. “Internet encyclopedias go head to head,” Nature, volume 438, number 7070 (15 December), pp. 900-901, http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7070/full/438900a.html )
• Wikipedia has links to outside sources and bibliographies that will lead students to more information. 
• Because anyone can change Wikipedia, errors and vandalism are often fixed. 
• One study claims that one-third to one-half of planted false information was corrected or removed within 48 hours. (Mangus, P.D. "Early Response to False Claims in Wikipedia." First Monday, Volume 13 Number 9 - 1 September 2008. http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/2115/2027)
• Wikipedia has "featured" articles that are reviewed and considered the best articles on Wikipedia.

Is Wikipedia the best choice for all research needs? No. I do not know of any resource that can make that claim. Is it okay for teachers to forbid students from using Wikipedia for specific research projects? Certainly. Would it be better if students consulted Wikipedia in addition to other more respected online and print resources and dedicated a sentence or two in their research papers on whether different facts were found in Wikipedia? Wikipedia is a great starting point for research. Instead of making blanket mandates that forbid the use of Wikipedia, Auntie Librarian says it is better to educate students and empower them to be able to form their own opinions on which Wikipedia articles, if any, meet their research needs.

This week and next week I will be working with our sixth grade students, preparing them for their research projects by teaching them how to take notes, evaluate websites and cite sources. All of this comes, of course, after I have worked with them on several occasions with other teachers. Every time I work with students I tell them that our State Library's DISCUS databases and digital offerings are the best sources for them to use while looking for information online.

While I was working with another class I looked across the library to see what the class in the computer lab was doing. I noticed that the students in the lab were visiting the sites: wiki answers, and yahoo answers to get the answers to their research questions. I listened closely to the teacher as the next class began to see if she recommended certain sites to the students. I was relieved to hear her tell the class that they should try DISCUS, but disappointed when I saw them go right to wiki and yahoo answers. It reminded me of the time when my three-year-old niece asked me for some money. I gave her a dollar and she ripped it up saying, "This isn't money! This paper! I want real money!" I handed her a handful of nickles and she was happy as a clam.

Today, this same group of students was sitting in front of me as I presented a note taking lesson to them.  I asked them, "Why? Why, after I have explained to you that DISCUS has THE BEST online resources, do you choose to visit sites such as wiki and yahoo answers?" Their answer was, "Because it is easier. The answer just comes right up. I don't have to read and scroll as much to get the answer." I am not surprised. If all they need is a short answer to a question like, "How far is the sun from the earth?"  of course they will choose the path of least resistance.

Next week's lesson, where I will give explicit examples of misinformation on wiki and yahoo answers and examples of bogus sites will hopefully give them some incentives to use better online resources. But should I be concerned about their use of these sites for simple assignments? Is it truly a problem for students to choose sites like wiki answers and yahoo answers over better resources if they get the right answers in the end? Am I wasting my time?  Of, course it might be wise to build site quality requirements into assignments as well. Should I try that route? Maybe I will ask for wiki and yahoo answers to be blocked.  Suggestions or comments? Guidance? I'd love to hear from you.