My Final Thoughts

Tomorrow I am getting married and then going off on a honeymoon to the Dominican Republic for two weeks.  As a result, it is unlikely that I will have the opportunity to post more thoughts and reflections on Vista or my blog.

That being said, I would like to take the opportunity to thank Anne and my peers for sharing their insights, reflections and useful links with me over the past three months.  In reflecting on this course I am thankful to have learned a number of important things which will help me currently as a teacher and potentially in the future as a teacher-librarian.

I have developed a much better appreciation for all the different types of reference resources that are available to students and teachers.  I never considered many resources as being references.  However, I quickly realized that they are reference materials and even learned some new ways to make better use of them in my classroom.  This was taught to me the best through the completion of assignment three with the colleagues at my school (Elgin Park).

I have also developed a much better insight into how a teacher-librarian selects and manages the reference materials in the library.  I did not realize what an important role the teacher-librarian truly plays in this process.  I now know that TL's must become experts themselves with reference resources in order to be able to share the "best of the best" with the user community.

This course has taught me a great deal about the life of a TL with regards to reference materials.  I am sure this information will serve me well in the future either as a teacher or teacher-librarian!

Thanks again to everyone and have a great rest of your summer!

Reflecting on Lesson 13 - Open Access & the Success of our Library

Open Access

As a classroom teacher, and non TL, I found it hard to reflect on whether I promote access to information and sources in a library context.  I am able however, to reflect on how the TL provides access to reference materials and services as well as the role I am able to play in that process.

The TL at our school has developed a reputation of being an authoritarian and as a result, students are reluctant to make use of library sources and services.  With students using the library sparingly and tentatively I do not believe they are benefiting from all that the library program and TL have to offer.  The library is organized well to provide good physical access to reference sources.  The library also has a good collection which can provide students with intellectual access to a wide variety of information sources and services.  The library even has good policies with regards to the usage.  Unfortunately, due to the reputation of our TL, all of these positives do not benefit the students.

As a teacher, I promote open access to reference sources and services at all times.  I encourage students to go beyond the textbook and sources I provide to develop a better understanding of a topic or concept.  I also use research models to ensure that students are conducting meaningful research and using a variety of appropriate sources.  I also have students visit the library on a regular basis to conduct activities which require them to make use of online periodicals and databases such as EBSCO.  Realizing that I have made the transition to relying heavily on online databases, I have taken it upon myself to prepare current students for another way of accessing information come the later years in high school and beyond.  Within my classroom I also promote access to information by ensuring I have a variety of sources aside from the main textbooks we use.  These sources can be referenced at any time to help students and even myself, develop a better understanding of a topic.

While I am sure I could do more to promote even better access to reference sources and services, I try to connect students to a variety of information sources which will help them learn and in the process become more information literate.

Is Our Library Successful?

Based on the account above and the evaluation standards discussed in lesson thirteen, I would have to say that our library is acceptable.  Students do have access to materials, the collection does reflect students needs and diversities, the collection is weeded regularly and there is sufficient funding.  However, I do not believe it is as successful as it could be in promoting reading and information literacy skills.  This is primarily due to the reputation our TL has with students.  I believe that if our TL works at developing a better rapport with students she can ensure students are able to access the wealth of reference sources and services that our library has to offer.  If the teachers work cooperatively with the TL to change the perceptions about the library I think we can create a library program which is not just acceptable, but exemplary.  This would be a success in making our library more successful.

Reflecting on Lesson 12 - Managing a Collection

The Role of the TL in Managing a Reference Collection

This week’s lesson made me think about all of the actions that the TL must take to manage a reference collection.

A large role of the TL should be selecting resources.  In order to create a usable collection which meets the students needs a TL should spend a lot of time evaluating possible additions to the collection as well as whether current resources are still useful.  While a TL should spend a lot their time selecting and weeding reference materials, I think this task could and should be done cooperatively with other staff (teachers, support staff, administrators).  This would ensure that the TL does not have to spend too much of their time conducting one of their many roles.  It would also ensure that a variety of opinions are heard from in the evaluation process.  As a result, the best resources should be selected and added to (or removed from) the collection.

The TL also needs to do a good job developing programs for students to work in the library.  These programs should be easy to apply and incorporate into the curriculums of all classes while at the same time promoting information literacy skills.  These programs need to originate from the TL and the library program.  However, they should incorporate the ideas of other staff in the building.

While there are many other roles of the TL, I believe managing the collection and creating programs and activities to promote reading and information literacy skills are by are the most important.

Determining Budgets

Budget is another area of this week’s lesson which is a hot topic.  In my limited library experience I have realized that the budgets for library programs are determined by provincial governments, school boards and administrators.  At my school, the principal has the largest say in what the budget of our library will be.  Currently, the library budget is twenty percent of the School’s Learning Resources Budget.  This translates into approximately $12,400 per year.  This figure seems to be comparable to the average secondary library budget of $12,160 stated within the lesson.  Our TL primarily spends this money on adding fiction titles to our collection as well as maintaining and developing the databases (mainly online) to which we have access.

In Conclusion:

As stated in the lesson, the amount of funding that libraries currently receive makes the evaluation and selection process much more important is libraries can’t afford to screw up.  Therefore, not only must the TL conduct all of their roles in a timely fashion and do so with a great deal of passion for promoting information literacy skills, but they must also do so under a tight budget.  It is seemingly apparent that TL’s have a difficult job to perform with little assistance from outside sources (staff, admin, etc.).  This needs to change.

Assignment #3 Complete - What I learned...

After a lot of hard work in late June interviewing and collaborating with several co-workers, I finally was able to put together my report.  The process of applying the CBAM to my colleagues ability to use and willingness to try using reference resources was a great learning experience for me.

Firstly, I had never even heard of the CBAM until I began reading about this assignment.  Once I began reading I was very interested in how the attitudes towards change and the behaviour of teachers could be broken down into a number of distinct stages.  These stages were clearly explained and expressed in a meaningful/chronological manner.  The CBAM was easy to apply to my co-workers experiences and attitudes towards working with reference resources.

Secondly, I learned a lot about how my colleagues were making use of reference resources.  From individuals such as Linda Martino, I have learned new activities whereby my own students can use and create their own reference resources.

Thirdly, this process made me work collaboratively with my colleagues.  In the past I have been very quiet and reserved, focusing on my own teaching.  However, this assignment forced me to collaborate with other staff and get to know them better.  As a result, I feel I will be able to collaborate with staff much more in the future as I will have already developed a working relationship with five individduals.

The third assignment was a great learning experience for me.  Not only did I learn about the CBAM, but I also learned a lot about using reference materials as well as forging mutually beneficial relationships with my colleagues.

Upon Further Reflection of Lesson 11 - Blogs as Grey Literature?

A funny thought on blogs…

I just remembered that when I was conducting a search to find information about the topic of grey literature, included in the results were a variety of blogs for students who had previously taken LIBE 467.  Considering some of this week’s lesson discussed blogs as reference sources I thought it was a funny coincidence I should share.

Also, I would have thought that many blogs would be “grey literature” as many require you to enter passwords or become followers to access them!  However, I guess not all blogs are “grey literature” and can be accessed easily via common search engines such as Google.

Reflecting on Lesson 11 - Grey Literature?

What is Out There?  Grey Literature and the World Wide Web

Prior to lesson eleven I had never heard of the term “grey literature”.  The article from the University of California Berkeley provided me with a working definition of grey literature.  I was able to determine that grey literature is literature which is difficult if not impossible to find on the internet.  Do the large volume of information on the internet, it did not surprise me to find out that there is a vast amount of information which most individuals can not access.  However, I assumed that individuals could not find the information as a result of the amount that is out there, when in fact it is a result of the format of pages and ability of search engines.  I did not realize that certain types of websites are formatted using scripts and text which is not recognized by search engines.  The article did make this point clear by reminding me that search engines do not have the ability to think for themselves.  Therefore, it makes sense that a certain pages can not be accessed.

By learning about grey literature and how search engines function, it has made me more information literate.  Now when I conduct searches for information, I will know that the types of searches I perform may not be leading me to all of the information that is available to me.  If only 1 in 500 websites are accessible by the average search engine (Sullivan), I will have to be more diligent in what and how I search for literature on the internet.

Upon Further Reflection of Lesson 10 - The Pros and Cons of Conducting Searches with Periodical Indexes

After thinking about this weeks lesson, I had a few things to add regarding the use of periodicals, indexes, etc.

My Experiences:

Based on my experience with Periodical Indexes such as ERIC, EBSCO and Academic Search Premier I have noted several pros and cons.

The Pros:

-         Access to a wealth of information that you would otherwise not find

-         Most sources are academic (therefore ensuring authenticity)

-         The search engines in many provide recommendations to narrow your search

-         Online periodicals make access to information possible from anywhere at anytime

o   Good for users who are not on campus (at the school library)

The Cons:

-         You need the right keyword when searching or else you get a lot of irrelevant information

-         Sources are not always legitimate because there may be limited information on the author/publisher

My Preferences:

While there are hundreds of different periodical indexes available to use, I have found EBSCO and Academic Search Premier to be the best as they are easy to use and provide consistently good sources of relevant information.

Reflecting on Lesson 10

With more free time now that summer is here I am trying to get ahead and finished the course.  Below is my reflection for lesson 10.

Three Realizations about Bibliographies, Biographies and Directories…

This week’s topic helped me realize and consider three main things.

Firstly, I realized that biographies could be a great resource to make use of with my Social Studies classes.  Biographies can be used to provide facts to students about important historical figures in a different format than a typical textbook.  Furthermore, the bibliographic information within a biography could be used to help students find other resources about historical figures and related events.

Secondly, I realized that the school library catalogue is a type of bibliography.  Bibliographies are indexes which point users towards other sources.  Therefore, a library catalogue is a bibliography as it provides with information which helps them find and select sources.  Due to the detailed information and abstracts that the library catalogue includes for most of its sources, it is really not that different from the annotated bibliographies I have created for numerous LLED courses since my return to U.B.C.  For one LIBE course I was also asked to create my own online catalogue of sources.  The catalogue which I created was really just an online bibliography.

Thirdly, I realized that the titles of directories, biographies and bibliographies are a very useful and telling way to authenticate/legitimize a source.  If the title is obscure or seems to be unrelated it is probably because it is.  While this is a useful piece of advice, I think it needs to be applied very carefully.  I am sure there are many sources available which are authentic and accurate but have obscure or seemingly unrelated titles.  For instance, if a publisher or author wanted to generate publicity about their biography they may give it a name for shock value.  While this may not be the norm, it is very possible.  As a result, title should not be the be all and end all of evaluating biographical, bibliographical and directory sources.

Reflecting on Lesson 9 - Maps, Atlases and Geographic Sources...

As a Social Studies teacher I was pleased to have a weekly topic which relates directly to what I currently teach.  I was pleased that the readings taught me several things about these sources which are so relevant to my daily teaching.

I was interested to learn that over ninety percent of maps published are government based sources.  This definitely surprised me as I did not realize that the overwhelming majority of maps were produced by or originated from statistics of governments.  Upon reflection, it does make sense.  Very few individuals go about creating maps.  Those that do, create these maps based on other maps or government statistics.  As a result, just about every map is created based on some kind of government statistics or other information.

I was also very interested by Riedling’s criteria for evaluating geographic sources.  She states that the major criteria are the publisher, scale, currency, indexing and format.  After reading about these criteria I decided to apply them to several atlases in my classroom.  Each atlas clearly met all of Riedling’s criteria as the atlases were very current, well formatted, with an easy to use index and maps which were in scale.  What I was surprised to find was that the publisher of the two atlases was the same.  Out of curiosity I checked the publishers of other atlases within the school and I found that they were all published by one of two companies (Rand McNally and the National Geographic Society).  This finding made me confident that the content of our atlases was authentic.  It also further supported Riedling’s point that most geographic sources come from the same publishers whose information originates from similar governments sources.

The activity within this lesson was also quite fascinating as I compared two online atlases: Atlas of Canada and the CIA’s World Factbook.  In applying Riedling’s evaluative criteria, I noticed that both were published by the federal governments of Canada and United States respectively.  Both had accurate scales on their maps.  However, the scales of the Canadian maps were in metric while many of the CIA maps were in imperial units.  Both websites were current.  Since they are government based sites their content is based on government census information (the most recent being 2006 in Canada).  Each website also has an index with hyperlinks to connect the user with related maps and content.  Finally, the format of each website is great as they are quick to access, easy to read, colourful and even allow the user to zoom.  I then compared these online atlases to a print World Book Atlas from my classroom.  This atlas also met Riedling’s criteria.  The publisher was well known (Rand McNally), the content was fairly current (2007), the scales were accurate yet diverse (both miles and kilometres) and functional indexes for Canadian and World locations/landforms.

Lesson nine taught me a lot about reference materials that I use on a daily basis as a Social Studies teacher.  I learned that most maps originate from government agencies/information and are produced by very few publishers.  As a result, I learned that most maps are authentic and accurate.  If only evaluating other reference materials was this easy!

Reflecting on the Hot Topic for Week 8 - Newspapers

Reflecting on My Discussion Post

Below was my post for the week eight hot topic question.  I tried to explain how my love of newspapers since childhood made me a so-called expert/connoisseur of newspapers.  Based on my own experiences with a number of newspapers, I feel that the Vancouver Sun is the best newspaper available to the people of the lower mainland.  It offers well written stories on a variety of topic relevant to people of the lower mainland.

I also spoke to my personal preference of print over electronic/online newspapers.  I like that when you read a print newspaper, and flip through the pages and sections, you really feel engaged.  I also stated that many newspapers allow individuals to access at least a portion of their articles online without a paid subscription.  This means that a TL could subscribe to just one print paper and then allow students to surf parts of other newspapers online for free.

What I did not consider in my Vista post was how much an electronic subscription is and how it works?  If an online subscription is much less than a print subscription, that may make it more attractive to a potential subscriber (TL).  Furthermore, it would be important to determine how the subscription works.  If a subscription allows unlimited users at a school to access the newspaper, then it would be a major advantage over a print newspaper.  I think that these two considerations definitely need to be made before subscribing to a newspaper in print or electronic form.

Vista Discussion Post

Print Newspapers

Ever since I was an intermediate student in elementary school I have loved reading the newspaper.  I used to wake up early so that I could take my time eating breakfast and reading the paper.  Depending on my interests at the time, my focus ranged from the “headlines”, to business and usually sports.  As a result of my love of newspapers, my parents tried subscribing to a variety including The Vancouver Sun, The Province and The Globe and Mail.  My favourite was always The Vancouver Sun.  Due to my personal bias, The Sun would be the newspaper which I would subscribe to for my high school library.

The Vancouver Sun has many attributes which makes it the best choice.  Firstly, it is produced six days a week providing currency.  Secondly, it has a lot of variety in terms of content.  The articles cover all major news stories about politics, economics, etc.  Thirdly, the level of writing is at a high school level.  The diction is advanced, yet not so advanced that it is contentious or difficult to read.

The Province is a good newspaper and is similar to the sun (since it is produced by the same company) but it is written at a lower reading level and the stories focus much more on recreational content (sports, entertainment, etc.)

The Globe and Mail may be the best newspaper in terms of writing/reading level.  However, it does focus more on stories relevant for Eastern Canada and the writing/reading level may be too challenging for some students at a high school level.

Subscribing Online

While I think electronic newspaper subscriptions are good, I much prefer to read print papers.  There is something to be said for getting to hold the newspaper and flip through the pages.  Furthermore, the main articles from the Vancouver Sun and other papers can be accessed online without any subscription at all.  I would much rather subscribe to print newspapers and then allow students to access the main articles online for free.  With limited funds, I believe the better use of money is in subscribing to print newspapers and allowing students to access limited electronic versions for free.

Reflecting on Lesson #8 - Indexes, Abstracts and Databases

While not the sexiest of referencing materials, databases have become an important reference materials in the research process.  Virtually every academic paper I have written at the university level has required me to visit a database of some kind.  I have used EBSCO, ERIC and a number of other databases and periodicals.  As a result, I was able to easily relate to this week’s topic.  In the Riedling chapter she clearly illustrated the purpose and function of periodicals, abstracts and databases.  While I have used all in the past, I did not realize how many different classifications existed.  Without working with these sources in the past, I think the names would have scared me away.  However, due to my own experiences with them, I was able to make connections and note the similarities and differences which existed between them.

I found the activity within the lesson to be very interesting.  When asked to compare a local library database to the school library database I was surprised to see how many different abstracts, indexes and periodicals were in use.  In the local library users had access to EBSCO A-Z, eBooks and a several other materials.  In our school library we have six online encyclopaedias, EBSCO (including 8 separate databases within), Thomas Gale as well as Queen’s Printer of B.C.  This wide variety of databases provides users with access to information relevant to just about any search whether it is regarding science, history, geography, academic papers or the selection of novels.

In my own experiences I have relied heavily on EBSCO and used it with great success.  However, even I did not realize how many indexes/periodicals lay within the full EBSCO Database.  If I, as a teacher and university grad (with a BA and Bed) did not realize how many indexes existed and how best to use them, it must be overwhelming for many secondary students.  Therein lays the potential problem with online databases, periodicals and indexes.  Due to the amount that is in use, some users may not know which is the most appropriate for a search.  Furthermore, they may get results which are not specific to their topic and are not relevant to their enquiry.  As a result, it is important that teachers and TL’s teach students how to use databases, indexes and periodicals so that all of their potential benefits are achieved by students.

Reflecting on the Hot Topic for Week 7

REFLECTING ON THE HOT TOPIC

Below was my response to the week seven hot topic.  In conducting this response I realized two things.

Firstly, I did not realize how many pet peeves I had about dictionaries and directories.  I didn't realize how much the addition of pop culture slang to dictionaries bothered me.  But the more I thought about it, it really made me think that it is really hurting student's ability to communicate formally and eloquently.  The amount of students that submit assignments with pop culture slang and LOL's or JK's is astounding (even at a high school level!).  Adding pop culture slang to dictionaries is definitely not going to help the cause of making students speak and write more formally.  I also never considered frustrating using a directory such as the phone book could be.  Something needs to be done to make them more user friendly!

Secondly, I never took the time to consider how valuable dictionaries and directories can be.  They can help individuals communicate better and they can connect individuals with others.

While I may have found many issues and flaws with dictionaries and directories, they really can serve a valuable purpose in the education of today's students. 


WEEK #7 HOT TOPIC RESPONSE

With the advent of spell check and online dictionaries, I do not find myself turning to print dictionaries all that often.  However, when I do I prefer Webster’s or Oxford.  They are credible dictionaries that have been around for years.  I also like that they do remain current by adding new words from popular culture.  That being said, print dictionaries do have some inherent problems.

Problems:

Firstly, since they are print they can not be updated unless a new edition is purchased.  However, it should be noted that the content does not change as rapidly as other reference sources such as encyclopaedias.

Secondly, dictionaries are now incorporating too many popular culture words.  As a humanities teacher I feel that this is bringing down the level of language that students use.  These popular culture terms would be better suited in online dictionaries such as “Urban Dictionary”.

Thirdly, dictionaries are often big and heavy.  They often take up space in a classroom with students rarely making use of them.  Instead, students tend to rely on spell check and online dictionaries.  This ends up leading to the bigger issue of whether we should bother investing money into print dictionaries.

Benefits & Essentials:

Despite there being some obvious issues with print dictionaries (like any reference material), they are important.  They help students learn to spell properly.  They also help students develop their vocabulary which in turn benefits their ability to communicate orally and through writing.  Aside from having a good copy of the Oxford or Webster’s dictionaries, I believe that the most essential are the English-French or English-Spanish dictionaries.  These make students lives so much easier when it comes to learning a second language (which is a requisite of the BC Education system).

Telephone Dictionaries:

There are a few issues with telephone directories.  Actually there are a lot of issues that bug me.  However, here are the two that get to me the most.

Firstly, the telephone directory only lists home and business numbers.  Therefore, if an individual only has a cellular phone their number will not be listed.

Secondly, the telephone directory often only includes a last name and first initial for personal numbers.  If you are looking up a number but do not know the first name or address of an individual, you will likely never find the number!  This can be very frustrating!

Trivia Answer:

I would have to think that the most essential directory for a TL would be one that lists names, classroom numbers, telephone numbers and e-mails of all the staff in the school.  As a classroom teacher I find this really helpful when trying to get in touch with my colleagues.  If a TL is trying to connect with their colleagues and students, this directory would allow them to reach and work with them.

It might not be your essential directory, but if I were a TL this is one that I would love to have at my disposal.

Looking Ahead to Assignment #3

Yes I know I am looking a ways into the future, but with summer holidays around the corner, a July wedding to prepare for and a honeymoon escape to the Dominican, its best to get a start!

When I looked at assignment three I was unaware of the CBAM approach to change.  This definitely made me worry about having to learn the model before being able to apply it.  However, I took some time this afternoon to read through the Loucks-Horsley article at http://www.nationalacademies.org/rise/backg4a.htm and feel confident that I understand the model.  The model clearly explains in a step-by-step process the different stages that individuals go through when making a change.  While the assignment will make me apply the model to the context of libraries, it will be valuable for me to use in other areas of my teaching.  Now I can use the model to understand why other teachers, or even myself, are more or less willing to adapt to the many changes that are being introduced to the teaching profession.

I'm very much looking forward to getting to apply the CBAM model of the approach to change to teachers at varying levels within my own school.  I hope to get the "researching" aspect of the assignment done in these last two weeks of school while I have better access to teachers, the teacher-librarian, and the library reference collection itself.  Once this is done I can work away at constructing the finished assignment in July!

I look forward to applying this model and seeing exactly where my colleagues are in terms of approaching and dealing with change (in the context of referencing!).

Reflecting on Module 7

Dictionaries, Directories, Handbooks and Yearbooks as Reference Sources?

I was surprised at what I learned from lesson seven.  I never really considered dictionaries, directories, yearbooks and handbooks to be reference materials.  I did not consider these to be reference materials in the sense that they would be used by students to conduct research and answer their questions.  However, by examining the definitions and uses of these materials, I realized that they are reference sources.  They can provide basic and quick access to single facts or figures (Riedling).

After realizing that directories, handbooks and yearbooks are reference materials I tried to think of when and how I have used these sources in such a way.  Every school year we are provided with a handbook.  Within the handbook, teachers can find forms, calendars and facts which will assist them during the year.  While I would  never use it to conduct formal research, it does act as a point of reference for basic enquiries.  Every school year we are also provided with yearbooks.  These yearbooks provide student names and pictures.  While they are mainly for students to reflect upon their school year(s), they do provide a quick reference as to which students go to our school, what their names are and what they look like.  The yearbook does help in researching for formal projects, but can be useful in helping identify students and staff.

While yearbooks, handbooks, directories and dictionaries are not traditional reference materials used for researching, they do act as a point of reference when in need of a basic facts.

The History of the Dictionary…

As an avid historian, this week’s readings provided an interesting explanation of the history of the dictionary.  I never realized that Homer was the first person to great a dictionary/glossary.  I also did not know that glossary is based on the root word gloss (meaning word).  Furthermore, I was intrigued by Dr. Johnson’s 1755 dictionary.  He created it with the purpose of preserving the purity of language through demonstrating its proper usage.

In Conclusion…

Lesson seven provided me with an interesting lesson in the history of the dictionary.  It also made me realize and appreciate the uses that directories, handbooks and yearbooks can serve as reference materials.

Reflecting on the Hot Topic for Week 6 - I'm no Expert!

As a non teacher-librarian I found it difficult to tell other TL's and aspiring TL's as to which encyclopedia I would purchase.  I am no expert on reference materials, especially encyclopedias.  While I have used a couple and seen students use a couple, I really only know about Britannica and World Book.

As I stated in the discussion post, I would worry about using Britannica due to the noted flaws that have been found in the past.  This makes me question the credibility and accuracy of the Britannica.  This is something that Riedling would also worry about!  Despite this flaw, the Britannica does offer a lot of really valuable information and is used in many libraries.  While it is a good encyclopedia, if I had to suggest a print version it would be the World Book.  I have always found it easy to use and have even added the 2005 edition to my classroom for the use of myself and students (so they don't have to go to the library for quick searches).

While I am not a TL, or an encyclopedia expert, I would use my limited funds for purchasing print reference materials and spend it on the World Book!  That being said, I think the way of the future online encyclopedias.  So the decision of what to buy really might be a moot point.

Upon Further Reflection on Lesson 6 - More on Wikipedia!

Why not Sign it?  Addressing the Flaws of Wikipedia

I realize I never touched on an interesting point by Berinstein.  With regards to Wikipedia, she questions why individuals are not forced to sign their contributions.  Berinstein states that it would make the site more authentic as the author would be help responsible for what they posted.  By signing their work, an author would be forced to own their own text.

I think that Berinstein’s idea is very intriguing.  While the intention of holding individuals responsible for their contributions is admirable, there is no way to do it.  How would Wikipedia ensure that contributors sign their work?  Even if they did, how would they ensure authors sign with their real name?  While Berinstein has good intentions to solve an obvious problem, it is simply not possible or realistic.

I think the simple solution is to teach kids information and critical thinking skills so that they will be able to recognize good and bad sources of information be it on the internet or elsewhere.

Reflecting on Lesson 6 - Which Encyclopaedia to Use

As the lesson states, encyclopaedias can be traced as far back as Aristotle.  They are a summary of existing knowledge in record form.  Traditionally encyclopaedias have been print based.  However, over the past twenty years encyclopaedias have evolved.  At one point encyclopaedias became electronic (like Encarta ’96).  Then they became available online.  Now there are free-citizen built encyclopaedias such as Wikipedia.  I believe that all forms of encyclopaedias are useful as reference materials for students when used properly.

The established print based encyclopaedias are good because they are always dependable.  As Katz states, they will almost always meet the evaluation criteria with regards to scope, emphasis, authority, style, relevance, objectivity, arrangement, index and format.  The information is accurate and comes from a reputable source.  As a result, established print encyclopaedias need to be promoted and used by students during the research process.

While established print based encyclopaedias are dependable sources of information, they are not always the most appropriate source.  I believe that citizen built encyclopaedias such as Wikipedia are also useful reference materials for students.  Berinstein states that Wikipedia can be a good starting point for students when conducting research (Berinstein, 12).  While the information may not be accurate when unchecked, it can provide students with a feel for a subject/topic.  Harris states that we need to embrace the opportunity to use Wikipedia.  I agree for a variety of reasons.  As stated by Berinstein, it provides a starting point of enquiry.  Furthermore, it is accessible virtually anywhere and anytime as long as you have internet access.  Because individuals are always able to post and edit content, the information is forever changing making it one of the most current sources available to students.  While the currency is most definitely a positive, the ability for individuals to post and edit content is a major drawback.  However, much like Berinstein I believe that these flaws provide a chance to teach proper research and critical thinking skills to students (Bernistein, 13).  Teachers and TL’s can teach students how to evaluate their sources and cross-reference information before using it to address their questions.  By teaching these skills, students will be able to determine which sources they should use to meet their needs.

I believe students should be encouraged to use both established print and free citizen built encyclopaedias.  As long as teachers and TL’s teach the necessary information and critical thinking skills to help students evaluate sources of information, there is nothing wrong with either type of encyclopaedia.

That being said, I still ensure that students refer to established print encyclopaedias first when beginning a research assignment!  (Creature of habit, or is this telling of my real trust of Wikipedia?)

Completion of Assignment #2 - Yes I know I am a little ahead!

After taking a few hours over the past couple of days I have managed to already get through assignment two.  While I realize I am a bit ahead of the course, I was really excited to complete this assignment.  I was eager to try and come up with a solution to a problem which I feel many students/library users face.

The problem I decided to tackle was with regards to making sure students/library users are able to properly use online databases.  I felt that this was an issue based on my own personal experiences.  In the past I have had issues finding relevant and credible sources of information when using online databases.  I have experienced the frustrations of not being able to find sources as recently as for assignment #1 and even for this assignment.  I also picked this topic due to the fact that the rest of our library's reference collection is very good.  Since the library has a good reference collection, including the online databases, it is important to make sure that the collection is being used efficiently and effectively.

I believe that I have created a simple plan for educating students and staff on the importance of properly using online databases to access and explore a variety of relevant and credible sources of information.  While I am not in a position to put this plan into effect (as I am not the TL), I hope that this is something I could get involved with in the future.

Capstone Activity - Evaluating Wikipedia

Intro:

I was very intrigued to evaluate an online reference material.  What I chose to evaluate was Wikipedia as it is becoming more and more popular with students in my classes.  After critiquing an article by Kim and Sei-Ching, for assignment #1, about how even university students are relying on online sites such as Wikipedia, I was really intrigued to apply Riedling's criteria to Wikipedia.  Below are my findings.

Evaluating Wikipedia:

There were millions of print and online reference works which I could have chosen to evaluate.  However, over the past few years free citizen-built encyclopaedias such as Wikipedia have become a popular topic of debate.  Many question the value and purpose of free citizen-built encyclopaedias such as Wikipedia.  I believe that it is a value reference source which can provide students with a starting point for the research and ultimately a great deal of information when used properly!  Therefore, Riedling’s steps in the evaluative process have been applied to Wikipedia, with a specific focus on several pages.  The purpose of focusing on a select few pages is to provide context for the evaluation.  The pages I have chosen are those of historical figures such as Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Riedling’s evaluative process begins by determining the scope of the content.  In an examination of the pages on Stalin, Hitler and Bonaparte there is a great deal of breadth and depth of information.  The information is very detailed and serves its purpose in informing users about the lives of these figures.  Unfortunately, the pages have so much information, posted by a variety of authors, that there is no clear audience with regards to age.  Therefore, not all aspects of the pages are appropriate or relevant to all audiences.

Riedling’s evaluation process continues by assessing a work’s accuracy, authenticity and bias.  With regards to the three pages I evaluated the information appears to be accurate, authentic and without bias.  It should be noted however, that since anyone can edit or post new information to a page, personal bias and inaccurate information could easily be contributed.  If this were to occur, then the accuracy and authenticity would be compromised.

The evaluation process also takes into consideration the arrangement and presentation of information.  In examining the Wikipedia homepage as well as a number of other content specific pages, the presentation and arrangement is excellent.  It is very user friendly as there are clear titles on each page.  Each page is also formatted the same way with the basic information (dates, etc.) and images on the right margin with the body of the written content on the main page.  Furthermore, within the body of the text are hyperlinks.  These links take the reader to related pages within the encyclopaedia.  This helps the site meet Riedling’s fourth criterion with regards to similar works.  By including hyperlinks, Wikipedia ensures that related information is shared with the user.

Riedling’s evaluative process also takes into consideration the timelessness of a reference work.  Since Wikipedia is a citizen-built encyclopaedia, individuals can constantly post and edit information.  Therefore, the information has the potential to be more current than any other print source that may be on the shelves of libraries.

The final step in the evaluative process is the cost.  Since Wikipedia is a free online encyclopaedia there is no cost to the user.  This makes the site a free reference source.

After applying Riedling’s evaluation criteria to Wikipedia, I still believe it to be a valuable reference source for students.  While there is the possibility of flaws with regards to content accuracy and bias, it does act as a free starting point for any inquiry.  Furthermore, as long as the information is cross-referenced with other sources, it in itself can be useful in aiding students’ searches for relevant information.