Developing legal information literate law students: “That dog will hunt”

Gary Lui

Poydras, P. E. (2013). Developing legal information literate law students: “That dog will hunt”. Legal Reference Services Quarterly, 32(3), 183-201. doi:10.1080/0270319X.2013.820999

Summary
The Poydras (2013) article discusses legal information literacy skills. Most legal research instructors are law librarians or law library staff. Legal research instructors must understand how law students learn in order to teach the skill of legal information literacy to law students. One strategy to teach legal information literacy is active learning. "Legal research classes are ideal for active learning instruction because, as a skills class, most legal research instruction involves interaction and problem solving through assignments" (Poydras, 193). Other strategies also mentioned in the article to teaching legal information literacy is learning style theory and collaborative/problem-based learning. Overall, when legal research instructors use one of the teaching strategies to teach legal information literacy to law students, these law students will become competent legal researchers.

Evaluation
The Poydras article defined what is legal information literacy according to several sources, but the author could have included what is information literacy as defined by librarians too. I think the teaching methods the article shares will be effective in allowing law librarians who teach legal research to help the law students to become legal information literate. The reason why I choose this article is because it does talk about information literacy in the legal profession, even though the article does not mention how law libraries or law librarians can specifically play a role in teaching legal information literacy. Most law librarians do teach the first-year legal research course, and the article does make suggestions to legal research instructors.

Stuck behind the curve: How the academic law library can help students who struggle in law school

Gary Lui

Gonzalez, J. A. (2014). Stuck behind the curve: How the academic law library can help students who struggle in law school. Legal Reference Services Quarterly, 33(3), 239-268. doi:10.1080/0270319X.2014.922396

Summary
The Gonzalez (2014) article make several suggestions as to how law librarians can help with law students' process skills by having law school librarians work with the law school professors. Gonzalez particularly suggests that law librarians in law school are most capable of helping struggling law students.  Law libraries have many resources now to help law students to learn such as outlines and study aids, as well as providing space in the law library for students to study. Most law librarians in these law libraries are skilled in helping law students with legal research. Though "[m]any law schools separate law librarians from full-time, tenured faculty, but most librarians have teaching roles [however], especially in the first-year legal research curriculum" (Gonzalez, 258). Law libraries and the librarians who work in them also have existed in law schools for a longer time compared to academic support programs, which are a recent development.
Academic support programs are currently programs developed to help struggling students in law schools. Therefore, law librarians should collaborate with law professors in supporting academic support programs (ASPs) in law schools.

Evaluation
The Gonzalez article is interesting in the suggestion of law librarians collaborating with law professors to work together on behalf of the law students. "An effective way for librarians to serve as a bridge between professors and students would come from partnering with professors on student assignments" (258). I think Gonzalez is convincing in advocating for collaboration between law librarians and law professors in supporting academic support programs for law students struggling in law schools. I believe academic support services are the future of law library services.

An Idiot's Guide to the Common Core

Samnath, Kayla 

CA-Common Core Assessments

Fastman, B. (2013, August 15). An Idiot's Guide to the Common Core. Retrieved March/April, 2016, from http://www.independent.com/news/2013/aug/15/idiots-guide-common-core/

Summary: 

            Author Brandon Fastman explains what exactly common core is, and how it effects schools curriculum. The article was written in 2013, when the common core standards were first initiated. It became apparent that kids in the US were falling behind “on global education benchmarks, college, and career readiness” (Fastman, 2013). This disparity caused both the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers to collaborate on finding a solution. Together, these groups created the Common Core standards. Fastman (2013) explains that common core “sets goals for K-12 classrooms that emphasize depth over breadth”. Rather than classrooms focusing on the correct answers, they focus on how students reached the answer. Common core puts an emphasis on deep thinking. Due to this emphasis, the teacher-student relationship can vastly improve. Instead of an instructor being an authority figure, they are viewed as a mentor and learning partner (Fastman, 2013).  According to Fastman (2013), the biggest changes will be seen in English and Math. In regards to English, there will be more nonfiction texts and literary texts. The author then goes into how texts should be “read in conjunction with historical documents… and there will be more emphasis on students reading and writing in other subjects” (Fastman, 2013). The hopes are that common core will teach problem solving skills, and show the real world applicability of subjects. In the subject of Math, common core will make real world connections to show how the math is used every day.

            Despite the high hopes of this new curriculum, there are still proponents who criticize this new system. Studies show that “poor minority children fare far worse in school than kids from white middle-and upper-class backgrounds… the U.S. is the most stratified…the U.S. reported a higher percentage of poor and ill-educated children than its peer nations” (Fastman, 2013).  Some teachers fear that common core will alienate the students who are learning English as a second language. More reading and more writing presents a major challenge for these students. Another problem with common core is standardized testing. The standardized testing is supposed to be well balanced, and a fair evaluation of student competencies. The tests will also be done on computers, which will not only boost technological skills, but allows students to test more efficiently.

Review: 

            Brandon Fastman’s 2013 article is extremely useful for individuals who are novices to teaching and educational theory. Fastman explains how and why common core standards were created. He does a great job explaining how the standards will change current curriculum. Although the implementation of these new changes seems as though it is a daunting challenge, others view it as a welcomed change. Fastman also explains the supporters and challenges of common core. The issues Fastman discusses are very serious, and should be considered heavily during this process of change in the school systems. Economic differences can have large impacts on students and schools. There are also many issues with this new curriculum for students who are learning English as a second language. With a heavier emphasis on reading and writing, and the introduction of more texts, these students might fall behind.

            Fastman explains the concepts of common core in an easy to understand manner. He explores different aspects, both good and bad, of common core standards. I would recommend this article for anyone who is just beginning their research into educational theories and educational assessments.

           

In School Libraries, Differentiation Through Curation

Karla Morones

IL, CO

Morris, Rebecca. "In School Libraries, Differentiation Through Curation". Harvard Education Publishing Group. N.p., 2016. Web. 2 May 2016.

Summary:

This blog posting covers how important the skill of digital curation is for school librarians to have.  The author would like to see digital curation not only in the hands of school librarians but the students as well. She believes having the students involved in the curation of digital material would lead to differentiation. Morris sees this happening by app smashing, a term coined by educator Greg Kulowiec, where a student would use multiple apps to complete a final task.  Morris suggests that school librarians would make excellent curators because they are enthusiastic and knowledgeable in helping teachers and students evaluate select and use digital tools

Evaluation:

I found this article informative and  a valuable resource.  This is a skill that would serve all librarians well, being able to provide students and teachers with a list of digital resources that could be used for a lesson or a research project would help immensely.  It is important to differentiate learning for students and teachers this would make way for more effective collaboration.

Specialized Legal Research Courses: The Next Generation of Advanced Legal Research

Gary Lui

Dubay, C. (2014). Specialized legal research courses: The next generation of advanced legal research. Legal Reference Services Quarterly, 33(3), 203-225. doi:10.1080/0270319X.2014.922390

Summary
The Dubay (2014) article goes further into how law librarians can have a role in law school instruction. Law students must have a strong foundation in legal research in order to be successful in their practice of law. Advanced Legal Research courses are typically taught in Law Schools by law librarians or law library staff. The Advanced Legal Research course is a more advanced legal research course from the typical first-year Legal Research course taught in the first-year of law school. "As already noted, [Advanced Legal Research] courses have been the historic response by law librarians to legal educators’ demand for more skills-focused courses" (Dubay, 208). Since more of legal research is becoming digital, more Law schools are including a course such as Specialized Legal Research (SLR) courses, which is the way Law schools are now trying to provide experimental learning so that law school graduates are ready for real practice of law (214). How does this relate to law librarians involvement in legal instruction? Accounting the time and financial cost needed to create these experimental learning courses, Specialized Legal Research courses taught by law librarians is a way for law schools to better prepare their law students for practice of law instead of offering legal clinics. "Therefore, as lawyers become increasingly specialized and students continue to find interest in highly specialized practice areas, law librarians and curriculum committees alike may find opportunity in SLR courses" (218).

Evaluation
The Dubay (2014) article is a great article concerning curriculum and assessment theory of the current law school curriculum. Advanced Legal Research (ALR) courses and Specialized Legal Research (SLR) courses are ways Dubay believes law librarians can be involved in teaching of law students the concept of legal research. I think first-year legal research course typically offered in most first-year law school programs do not allow law students to investigate a variety of legal research methods. This article also does a good job of advocating for Specialized Legal Research courses in Law schools and the role that law librarians can play in teaching Specialized Legal Research courses.

Designing and teaching a course in legal research and writing for master in legal studies students.

Gary Lui

Austin, M. (2014). Designing and teaching a course in legal research and writing for master in legal studies students. Legal Reference Services Quarterly, 33(4), 310–335. doi:10.1080/0270319X.2014.972219

Summary
The question of the Austin (2014) article is not whether Legal Research and Writing should be taught but how it should be taught. Legal Research and Writing is a course not just law students should learn but anyone interested in the law should learn. "More broadly, legal analysis and writing are seen as important skills to develop even at an undergraduate level to achieve a level of legal literacy that is crucial for all citizens" (Austin, 315). The debate about doctrinal versus experimental learning encompass the debate on how a Legal Research and Writing course should be taught. The article leans toward experimental learning. The typical bird units way of teaching Legal Research and Writing in Law schools is to not give feedback on what the students submit on the one final exam which makes up the whole grade for the course. Experimental learning requires professors give greater amounts of feedback but also more effective feedback on what the students' submit. The Austin article also discusses adult learning theory. Adult learning theory should be a method of improving legal education because the theory encourages the teacher to move away from a typical teacher-student hierarchical relationship to a relationship where the teacher and students are more equals by asking about the students' past experiences. "Therefore, effective instruction of adult learners requires the teacher to have the confidence to move away from a hierarchical or authoritarian structure in the classroom and create a more communal or collective environment" (320).

Evaluation
I think the experimental learning model is an opportunity for instructors of Legal Research and Writing to include the librarian with expertise in legal research as part of the instructing. Though the Austin article does not mention directly that the librarian will be included in the instruction of a course in Legal Research and Writing, I am including this article in the blog because the author of the article in actually a Law Library Fellow and Adjunct Professor with the Daniel F. Cracchiolo Law Library at The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. The author of this article also taught the Legal Research and Writing course for Master's of Legal Studies students at The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. I think most Legal Research and Writing courses will not be taught by someone with background in Library Science but definitely someone with legal training, which is why I think librarians should be included directly in the instruction of the Legal Research and Writing course.

Through the looking glass: Examining technology integration in school librarianship

Deligencia, Nick

IL

Green, L. S. (2014). Through the looking glass: Examining technology integration in school librarianship. Knowledge Quest, 43(1), 36-43.

Summary:

Beginning with a description of the SAMR model and a review of its popularity and widespread use, the article then questions the validity of the model.  An open letter to the SAMR model’s founder is described, which critically evaluates SAMR in a manner that many teacher librarians are (or should be) teaching to their students.  The author delineates findings about the SAMR model’s creator, what it contributes to the thinking on the subject (how is it different), whether it is research-based and whether its methodology can be vetted, and whether it is a sponsored product.

A comparative evaluation of the TPCK model follows.  This section cites ways in which the model is often shared and used among educators that is, in fact, not consistent with the model’s intention and design.  The article concludes with a recommendation to “visit the Technology Integration Matrix maintained by Northern Arizona University <www.azk12.org/tim>.”

Evaluation:

Worth reading; thought-provoking.  I’m a little nervous about posting this here, given the professor’s implicit (and my own, previously explicit) endorsement of the SAMR model.  And yet, this article gets at the core of teacher librarians’ roles in information literacy.  How effective are we if we’re not applying the information credibility checks that we’re teaching our students?

This is not an indictment of the SAMR model, per se.  The article is more critical of the application of TPCK than SAMR, but it is most critical of any unquestioned and unexamined propagation of any model.

IL-Analysis and Synthesis, IL-Critical Thinking, IL-Technology Instruction