Session 16: Pathfinders

Focusing Questions What is a Pathfinder? Why use Pathfinders and how do they relate to the New York School Library Services Information Fluency Continuum? How do you create an exemplary Pathfinder?

Instruction

Framing Our Work Students are not the most strategic researchers. Stymied or overwhelmed by choice of materials May miss important resources due to Yahoo- or Google-dependency

Framing Our Work Pathfinders are tools to help our students “find their way” Guide students to good resources Model research strategy

Framing Our Work Today we’ll be discussing: Why we use pathfinders Common components of pathfinders You’ll begin to create a pathfinder for your students We’ll also look at the merits of having students create pathfinders

What is a Pathfinder? A pathfinder is another word for a research guide.

Pathfinders Guide a potential researcher on the best “path” to take to find information and/or research a given topic.

Pathfinders Guide the researcher by pointing out how and where to find valid sources of information. Provide advice on researching a topic.

Why Use Pathfinders?

Pathfinders Help students focus their research. Scaffold the research process. Move students away from using only a search engine for their information needs.

Pathfinders Introduce students to quality resources that they might not know about, e.g., “the good stuff” Promote a wide and balanced range of relevant resources. Alleviate or eliminate students’ frustration during the research process. Model selection, evaluation, strategies and balance.

Tailor a Pathfinder specifically to your focus, population, types of materials and send your students to the resources you want them to use! Why Create Pathfinders?

An overview of the topic including the scope and intended audience of the pathfinder Dewey Decimal numbers classification number(s) related to the topic Keywords and phrases suggested words to help a researcher look for information on the topic Common Components

Print sources Books, including specialized encyclopedias, seminal or key works on the topic, newspaper, magazine and journal articles, pamphlets Internet sources Web sites Database sources, e.g., suggestions on which databases to use Subject directories/portals Common components

Community Resources or Organizations People and organizations considered experts in the field Non-print materials images, maps, videos/DVDs, television programs, etc. May also include: Focus questions and Questions for inquiry Common components

Sample Pathfinders

Sample Pathfinder

Made for grades 2/3

Pathfinders can be for adults, too!

Student-created pathfinders

Great way to teach students how to: Focus their inquiry Map out research process Evaluate print and non-print materials Write annotations Student-created pathfinders

Great alternative to research papers: Takes the pressure off students since they don’t have to “do the research” Teachers like them : Student-created pathfinders

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Guided Practice Now we are going to practice creating our own pathfinders for our students. We will be using a template to do this. Please open the file entitled: Handout pathfinder template

Because there are many components to the pathfinder, we will focus on just a few: Dewey #s Keywords and Phrases Websites Databases

: Guided practice My topic: Overview of the topic (including scope of pathfinder and audience)

: Guided practice

: Guided practice Dewey Decimal numbers (classification number(s) related to the topic)

: Guided practice Keywords and phrases suggested words to use to help a researcher look for information on the topic (include subject terms from the catalog here)

: Guided practice Keywords and phrases suggested words to use to help a researcher look for information on the topic (include subject terms from the catalog here)

: Guided practice Websites

: Guided practice Databases

Work Time

You will be creating a pathfinder for students in your school. You have free choice on the topic of your pathfinder. You may work by yourself or with a partner. Work Time

Remember, we will focus on just these components of the pathfinder: Overview of topic Dewey #s Keywords and Phrases Websites Databases These components are highlighted in red on your template. Work Time

As you work, remember to use those great tools and strategies you have learned in all the previous sessions, such as : Using the advanced search tools. Using directories to lead you to good sites. Using specialized search tools to locate media files. Work Time

Share

How did you tailor your pathfinder for your audience? Share

How would you change the template for Elementary school children? ELL kids? Other populations? Share

Standard 1: Using Inquiry to Build Understanding “I am a thinker.” An independent learner asks authentic questions and accesses, evaluates, and uses information effectively to develop new understandings. See Pages Investigate

At the beginning of the investigative phase a student may ask: What are all of the sources that might be used? Which sources will be most useful and valuable? How do I locate these sources? How do I find the information within each source? How do I evaluate the information that I find?

New York City Curriculum Resources Information Fluency Continuum Phase: Investigate p. 18 Indicator: uses a variety of search engines to do advanced searching New York City Performance Standards Applied Learning Standard 3a: Gather information to assist in completing project work Applied Learning Standard 3b: Use information technology to assist in gathering, organizing, and presenting information Standards

Technology Standards ISTE National Educational Technology Standard (NETS) Standard 5: Technology Research tools: -- Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources -- Students use evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness to specific tasks. Standards

Evaluations Please go to Survey Monkey to fill out the evaluation for today’s sessions.Survey Monkey Thank you