Trust: A "Radical" New Way to Create Better Students

Johnson, Meghan

ET

Schwartz, K. (2014). Why trust is a crucial ingredient in shaping independent learners. KQED. Retrieved from http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/11/04/why-trust-is-a-crucial-ingredient-to-shaping-independent-learners/

Summary: This article by Katrina Schwartz discusses the need for trust in schools. Despite the fact that students are supposedly being prepared for the “real world” in high school, they have many restrictions placed on them ranging from the types of materials they can view to the tools they are allowed to use to approach problems. There needs to be trust between students, teachers, administrators, districts, and parents as well. While this is a scary prospect, Schwartz believes that this is ultimately the best way to create fully functioning and accountable students.

Evaluation: I found this article to be absolutely fascinating. I could see myself in the anti-trust kind of teacher described by Schwartz. It is indeed a terrifying prospect to look at entire student body and grant them a larger portion of responsibility for the success of their education. I believe Schwartz is correct, though, when she states that the likely benefits outweigh the potential negatives. She provided great details from a school called New Caanan High School where a system of trust in regards to cell phones and new technologies exists. These students seem to realize the benefits of maintaining this system of trust and honor it, which astounded me! As an academic librarian, though, I can see how this type of system is necessary. I constantly complain to my coworkers about how new undergraduates have no idea how to use certain tools (such as an online catalog) and don’t have any respect for the higher educational institution they get to study at. These are the students most systems are creating, though. Students who have it drilled into them that they cannot be trusted to know what they want to study and to determine which tools they need to use. I think Schwartz is right. Trust-based educational systems are the only way to create students that will succeed in higher education and in society.

VLC's in the University

Johnson, Meghan

IL

Experimental learning [video file]. Retrieved from http://screencast.com/t/8NxGv0dKDJun

Summary: This screencast was created to tour the Virtual Learning Commons created for the University of Rochester. The goal of this VLC is to be a collaborative space for all students to contribute to. Students are encouraged to maintain the site on their own. Students can post photos, calendar events, and create their own Knowledge Building Center (KBC). This site is only lightly moderated by librarians, who post library events and create some base KBC’s.

Evaluation: This VLC for a university-level school seems like a great start for getting students involved in self-directed learning! It leaves the door open for them to guide their own education and follow their interests. I had always wondered if a VLC would be viable at the university level, and I think this proves it could be done. A few questions popped into my head as I was watching this video, though. The University of Rochester is a smaller university (about 10,000 students), of which about half are undergraduates. Would this type of VLC still work with a larger university and a larger range of majors and interests? I worry that features such as the calendar could easily be overwhelmed with larger numbers of students. I also wonder if there is any additional librarian moderation beyond what they discussed in this video. Is there someone who regularly goes through the VLC to ensure that appropriate content is posted? On another note, I thought that some of their labeling was a little less than intuitive. I think that this was a great start, though, to incorporating self-directed learning into the university level.

Reading Insights

Amy Hubschman

ET- Brain Research
ET- Learning Styles

Resource:

Krashen, S. (2004). The power of reading. Insights from the research. Portsmouth, NW: Heinemann Publishers

Summary:

This 150 page book summarizes what the majority of the scholarly research says about current reading trends, current reading programs, reading initiatives, reading policies, and the various types of general reading being done by children and schools across the United States.  It also discusses how reading influences cognitive development in young children.  Every discussion is backed up professional studies and offers readers quick summaries of what the complied findings do and don't say on the particular topics.   

Evaluation:

Although this book covers numerous topics the main focus of the book is FVR or Free Voluntary Reading.  FVR is one of the main highlights of most libraries.  Information professionals have the task of connecting the patron to the needed piece of information and majority of the time that is FVR information pieces/topics.  This book would be helpful for new classroom educators and new school librarians to summarize the vast majority of current research involving reading trends and give them a firm foundation of what professionals and leaders in the field of information science collectively say on various topics. 

The Learning Myth: Why I'll Never Tell MySon he's Smart

Ruth Mitchell
ET-Growth Mindset
S. Khan. (2014, August 19). The learning myth: Why I'll never tell my son he's smart [Web log comment]. Retrieved from The Learning Myth Why I'll Never Tell My Son He's Smart

This blog post was written by Salman Khan - founder of Khan Academy. His blog post explains his journey with the "You can learn anything" movement and the growth mindset: We can all learn anything if we are willing to work at it. He discusses how this applies to how we communicate, work with others, and learn something new. Today, with access to the Internet and the variety of learning opportunities, we now have even more opportunities to learn and grow-no matter what age.

Understanding By Design Framework

Friel, Holly

McTighe, J. & Wiggins, G. Understanding By Design Framework. ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development). Retrieved from

http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/publications/UbD_WhitePaper0312.pdf

Summary:

This Understanding By Design (UBD) introduction provides an overview of the guiding principles behind this pedagogical framework, the six facets of understanding, and the three-stage design process.  First, UBD is informed by two main principles: 1) “Focus on teaching and assessing for understanding and learning transfer,” and 2) Backwards planning (start planning process with learning goals rather than starting with the learning activities). Secondly, the six facets of understanding include “the capacity to explain, interpret, apply, shift perspective, empathize, and self-assess.” Finally, UBD’s three-step process for lesson or unit planning includes: 1) Identify desired results, 2) Determine assessment evidence, and 3) Plan learning experiences and instruction.   

Review:

I found this guide helpful in providing background on UBD.  Identification of learning goals and essential questions at the start of the planning process can help to shape a deeper learning experience for students.   I also appreciate that the assessments are not just tests, as there are so many other ways that students can demonstrate understanding or mastery of a subject.  This guide includes a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section which provides ideas for implementation of the UBD framework in different disciplines. 

21st Century Learning and Information Literacy

Friel, Holly

Breivik, Patricia Senn. (2005). 21st Century Learning and Information Literacy. Change, 37(2), 20-27.

Summary:

Former SJSU Library Dean Patricia Senn Breivik’s article focuses on information literacy, which encompasses critical thinking, computer literacy, media literacy, visual literacy, and more.

Breivik explains that the rapidly increasing availability of information as provided by Internet access, cell phones, and other forms of media has not translated into a more educated or better-prepared population, hence the need for explicit information literacy instruction.  According to Library of Congress, “only 17% of resources are indexed by any single popular search engine, and 83% of the sites that are indexed contain commercial content, compared to the 6% that are educational or scientific.” This article was published in 2005; the statistics are probably even worse today as creating websites and uploading digital content has only become easier and more ubiquitous in recent years. Breivik argues, “It has become one of education’s greatest challenges to teach students the skills needed to test the reliability, currency, and relevance of the information they find.”  

Review:

I appreciate Breivik’s points about the need for explicit information literacy teaching and that these  skills should not be taught as a stand-alone subject, nor should all of the responsibility for teaching them fall on the librarian’s shoulders.  Instead, each discipline should determine what information literacy skills are needed for that subject area, and these skills should be explicitly taught and used in each class.  While Breivik’s article is ten years old, it has some very interesting points and also directs readers to The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) & Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) national standards for information literacy skills.Although the title includes “21^st century skills,” I did not see these referenced explicitly.

Framework for 21st Century Learning

 Friel, Holly

Framework for 21^st Century Learning. Partnership for 21^st Century Learning. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/P21_framework_0515.pdf

Summary:

This 2-page document produced by the Partnership for 21^st Century Learning provides a quick overview of 21^st Century Student Outcomes and Support Systems.  The four main categories of 21^st Century Student Outcomes are: 1) Key Subjects – 3 Rs and 21st Century Themes, 2) Learning and Innovation Skills, 3) Information, Media and Technology Skills, and 4) Life and Career Skills.  The five main categories of Support Systems are: 1) 21^st Century Standards, 2) Assessments of 21^st Century Skills, 3) 21^st Century Curriculum and Instruction, 4) 21^st Century Professional Development, and 5) 21^st Century Learning Environments. Examples for each of these 21^st Century Student Outcomes and Support Systems are provided in the document.

Review:

This is a good introduction to 21^st Century Skills.  The document does not go into a lot of detail, but it is useful for someone new to the term and provides concepts that be explored in greater depth through further research.