Ensuring Higher - end Thinking Developing Lifelong Learners

What Are We Missing? Process Skills (21 st Century Skills) Quality Teachers Academic Standards Instructional Materials Technology NETS- Students Information Literacy Standards

The illiterate of the 21 st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. Alvin Toffler

To be college and career-ready, students must be able to… Think Question Make decisions Find and use information based on needs Collaborate with others

The New Basics Use of technology to communicate Work in groups Solve problems when answers are not self-evident Understand how systems work Collect, analyze, and organize data Olson (1998) School to Work Programs

Three Primary Curricular Goals Achievement in content area learning Development of higher- order thinking and problem solving skills Workplace preparation

Research Problem Solving Communication The three critical school-to-life skills Leading the way to 21 st Century Learning and College and Career Readiness

Partnership for 21 st Century Skills 2010 Basics 3Rs 4Cs –Creativity/Innovative Thinking –Communication –Collaboration –Critical Thinking/Problem Solving

Partnership for 21 st Century Skills 2010 Basics 3Rs – necessary; not sufficient 4Cs – –Analyze –Understand data –Maintain curiosity

The 3Rs and the 4Cs Change school culture –Expectation of inclusion of 4Cs –Use in classroom what students are doing outside school –“Can I use it when I need it?” Change the way we teach Build bridges between in-school learning and out-of-school learning

The 4Cs Skill sets and dispositions that students should be acquiring Information and resources where learning takes place “Seat time” Content: Context within which students learn skills and process

Recent Gallop Poll Surveyed students in grades % of 5 th graders are engaged and hopeful Steady decline through 10 th grade Small improvement in 11 th and 12 th grades Indicates need to personalize learning and increase relevance

How Do We Keep Students Engaged? Move beyond mentality of “broadcast” education Embrace the “world is flat” concept for education Move from consumers of information to creators of information Push students beyond the easy research in both print and digital resources

How Do We Keep Students Engaged? Meet students where they are Encourage, foster, facilitate critical-thinking GGrammar RRhetorical strategies EEvaluation of writing AAsk questions SStrengths EEncouragement Sarah Brown Wessling, National Teacher of the Year

How Do We Keep Students Engaged? GGood Assignments RRubrics EEvaluation of skills AAuthentic assessments SStudent choices EEncouragement

Teacher-Librarians Are Your Best Friends! Instructional Partner –AASL Standards for the 21 st Century Learner –NETS-S Technologist Information Resource

What’s my question? Where can I find my information? Where can I find these sources? What information is in each source? How can I organize and share what I learned? Did I answer the question? The Information Process in Questions

Antique Research Unit

The “Updated” Unit

Carmax Let’s Create the Carmax Unit

What needs to be done? What can I use to find what I need? Where can I find what I need? What information can I use? How can I put my information together? How will I know if I did my job well? It’s about Process 1. Task Definition 2. Information Seeking Strategies 3. Location and Access 4. Use of Information 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation

Task Definition Information Seeking Strategies Location and Access Use of Information Synthesis Evaluation

Task Definition Make assignment Introduce rubric Discuss essential question Problem-solving Decision-making Brainstorming Graphic organizers KWL Charts Mind maps

Questioning Time Providing Time for Brainstorming, Thinking, and Examining

Which Questions Matter? QUESTIONS QUESTIONS similar to those found in tough tests- PASS, HSAP, EOC, ACT, PSAT, SAT. essential Research Module Select a great essential question and then make it the focus of a Research Module Give students time to create their own essential question.

Information-seeking Strategies Identify needed information Search Statements Know characteristics of resources Prioritize resources

Location and Access Engaging the resources Boolean Searching Critical Evaluation of Information Note-taking Plagiarism

Provide Assistance Source (Author, title, date, URL, etc.) Subject: Keywords: Abstract: Have students differentiate between ideas they have collected from others and those ideas which have emerged in reaction to the ideas of others. Green signifies fresh thinking, black ink the ideas of of others. (Jamie McKenzie)

Quality of Resources –Accuracy, Authority Objectivity, Currency, Coverage –Web Evaluation Quantity of Resources –Vastness –Narrowing down Resource Limitations –Scope and Depth

Synthesis Outline, storyboard Citation, works cited Copyright Plagiarism Organization Writing Computer/technology skills Presentation Skills

Evaluation PRODUCT PROCESS

Power Learners Help students learn how to learn - not just pass standardized tests Teaching more than just locating facts - helping students learn how to evaluate and use information for meaning Make assignments that require students to locate, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize TRANSFORMING information Not TRANSPORTING information

 Form collaborative partnerships with colleagues, including teacher- librarians, to plan instruction and implement research activities  Begin with small projects  Provide information skills instruction at time of need SUGGESTIONSSUGGESTIONS

Research Researchthat Counts Slow things down for kids - Scaffold First day of research: Use only print. Ask students to do something with information they find. What new questions do they have? Consider what is substance and glitz Take time and make many experts

RememberRemember 3Rs "Knowing content (3Rs)" is not sufficient in itself -- Students must apply knowledge to: ¤ construct new understandings ¤ solve problems ¤ make decisions ¤ develop products ¤ communicate 4Cs

Successful Programs Constructivist view of learning Scaffold learning Set benchmarks Team teaching/collaboration Library media center is essential component. Research confirms it!

Now go out and build rigorous and relevant research units! Thank you for the invitation today. Martha Alewine Office of eLearning 100 Merrywood Rd. (ISC)