Back to the project. So this is the project:
During each Term this year you will be given an outline for a project to work on at home. The projects will be linked to that Term's theme in HSIE. While not compulsory, we hope you will take these opportunities to further develop valuable skills in research and presentation.
Our theme in Term 1 is early Australian history: sea exploration, reasons for colonisation, and first settlement.
For this Term's project you should choose one of the following:
- A biography of a convict. This can be any convict who became well-known, e.g. Francis Greenway, James Ruse, John Cadman. If you know you have a convict as an ancestor, you can do your project on him or her.
- A famous shipwreck, e.g. Batavia, Vergulde Draeck, Zuytdorp or Trial (there are two - one in WA and another at South West Rocks)
- This year is the bicentenary of the crossing of the Blue Mountains by Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson in 1813. Explain why it took 35 years to find a way over the mountains west of Sydney, and why it was so important for the colony of NSW.
And it goes on to explain how the project is to be presented.
Imagine my shock when Miss A told me that the teacher (not her teacher) explaining the project told them to use Google. I asked - did they mention books, the school library, the public library?? She said no.
So like any good mother, I visited her teacher and mentioned that I wasn't very happy that the students were told to use Google and I'd happily offer the students a session on how to find information in the public library - which is just down the road from the school.
This week I'm providing "how to find information" sessions for the year 2/3's, 3/4's and 5/6's from my daughter's school.
Now I don't dismiss having students use Google to find information. But I do get disappointed when there is no explanation on how to define what they should be looking for, no discussion of keywords, no discussion of how to evaluate the information found, and no discussion of the other research tools and resources that could be used.
I also find it disappointing that the school librarian is not insisting on offering "how to find information" sessions to the students.
I understand that there can be many reasons why this doesn't happen - lack of funds, lack of support by the teachers, lack of time etc etc. But what if I my daughter was not at this school? Who else would jump in and ask that the students be given the opportunity to be taught these skills? Especially since the project states that it is allowing the students to further develop their research skills - well how about giving them research skills to develop instead of giving a project without the basic support to get them started?
Even if the school had not agreed to allow the students to come to the library, Miss A would still be provided with a lesson in finding information from me - but what about the other students?
And I'm trying very hard not to think about the other schools in our area that are also not providing their students with the basic start in finding information.
What are your thoughts on this?
Hey Sharon
ReplyDeleteGreat post (and follow up one)
I sympathise with your frustration at the apparent lack of input from the librarian at this school in the research process. And of course, there are all the other schools in the area to consider as well.
I wonder if you've considered contacting the librarians working in these schools? It would be a great opportunity to foster the collaboration you've already started and then you could work together to make sure as many students as possible learn about these valuable information literacy skills.
Good luck!